A principal founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris was responsible for producing hundreds of patterns for wallpapers, furnishing fabrics, carpets and embroideries, helping to introduce a new aesthetic into British interiors. While it has long been acknowledged that Morris was inspired by Islamic art, this is the first exhibition to examine this important aspect of his artistic journey in depth.

Alongside his own iconic designs, outstanding examples of Islamic textiles, ceramics, metalwork and manuscripts from Morris’s personal collection – now belonging to major UK institutions including the British Library, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge – are brought together for the first time to reveal the wider impacts of these objects, their designs and impressions on Morris’s creative output.

The umbrella terms “Islamic world” and “Islamic art” are widely used to facilitate the categorisation of art produced in areas where Islam was the dominant religion or the religion of those who ruled. However, they perpetuate the notion that there is a single identity or uniformity within the vast output of production from across huge geographical regions. These ideas will be explored and discussed further in the exhibition and public programme.

Featuring over 90 works, the exhibition demonstrates how some of Morris’s best-known designs such as Flower Garden (1879), Wild Tulip and Granada (1884) were directly inspired by Islamic surface design and its technical application. This exhibition sets out to enrich our appreciation of Morris’s work and broaden our understanding of the underlying influences of this quintessentially British designer. The exhibition is made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication, Tulips and Peacocks: William Morris and Art from the Islamic World (Yale University Press).

William Morris & Art from the Islamic World is curated by Rowan Bain, principal curator of William Morris Gallery, and Qaisra M. Khan, Curator of Islamic Art.

Images:
Peacock, c.1870, Iran, hollow brass with pierced decoration and turquoise. © The Society of Antiquaries of London (Kelmscott Manor)
Wild Tulip, 1884, designed by William Morris for Morris & Co., block-printed wallpaper. © William Morris Gallery

Object Stories: Young people’s 2024 Curatorial Interpretation course

William Morris Gallery, with support from National Heritage Lottery Fund, offered adults aged 18-25 the opportunity to take part in a curatorial interpretation professional development course, inspired by the temporary exhibition that was opening at the Gallery in November 2024, William Morris & Art from the Islamic World.  During the summer of 2024, 20 young people with an interest in this exhibition were recruited for the course to enhance the interpretation of objects and stories in the exhibition. This five-day professional development opportunity was run by Shaheen Kasmani, artist, curator and educator.

You can read Object Stories produced by participants on this dedicated page.

Bayt Al Fann

To celebrate the exhibition William Morris & Art from the Islamic World, William Morris Gallery has collaborated with Bayt Al Fann to present a specially curated, limited-edition digital publication, William Morris & Islamic Art: Women Artists, crafted as a unique dialogue between pioneering women artists whose work is rooted in Islamic art and the legacy of William Morris. You can pick up a copy at the Gallery with a suggested donation of £2 or view it as a digital download. Read more about the project.