Shahzia Sikander is a visual artist who revolutionized miniature painting, and is now widely credited for creating the neo-miniaturist movement. She looks back on her life and her thirty-year career in the arts. 

A retrospective of Shahzia Sikander's work, called Extraordinary Realities, is currently on display at The Morgan Library and Museum.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anissa Helou is an award-winning cookbook author, whose books include Lebanese Cuisine, Mediteranean Street Food and Feast: Food of the Islamic World. 

She talks about why she actively avoided cooking for much of her life, her dramatic and unlikely path to her current profession, and why she undertook the massive project of trying to capture the food of Muslim societies all around the world.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asad Ali Jafri spent his early childhood in Kuwait, but found himself in the suburbs of Chicago after the outbreak of war. Hip hop became his entry point to American culture, quickly taking over his life and leading him down a path to the arts and community organizing. He started DJing under the name Man-O-Wax, staged major festivals, and became a visionary curator of contemporary Muslim arts. 

Today, Asad Ali Jafri is the executive director of the South Asia Institute in Chicago.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have composed some of the biggest anthems in India as the film composing duo Salim-Sulaiman. They’ve also produced pop songs, devotionals, a sports anthem, and remixed Lady Gaga.

They talk about the chance meeting that led them from writing jingles to scoring movies, why they take issue with the term Bollywood, and what it’s really like to work with a sibling.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shireen Ahmed is a sports journalist and advocate. She’s a go-to voice for TSN and The Guardian and co-hosts the podcast Burn It All Down.

Shireen was an outspoken critic of FIFA’s seven-year hijab ban. She talks about how that ban affected her personally, her childhood in a Pakistani household in Halifax, and breaking into the world of mainstream sports broadcasting.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wafaa Bilal has pushed his body to extreme lengths in the name of art. He has subjected himself to waterboarding, mounted a camera to the back of his head, and spent a month living in a gallery, where strangers shot him with tens of thousands of paintballs. He talks about escaping Iraq during the war and why he puts his body on the line for art.

Wafaa is currently a professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanya Muneera Williams is a poet and member of the hip-hop duo Poetic Pilgrimage. She talks about her childhood in Bristol, England, the city’s rich music scene, and the spiritual journey she took from her mother’s church to her conversion to Islam.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nadir Nahdi runs the popular YouTube channel BENI, where he documents contemporary Muslim life around the world. Nadir comes from a tradition of thought and debate. His father, Fuad Nahdi, was a well-known journalist and satirist, as well as a giant in the UK Muslim community and a major figure in interfaith discussions. 

Nadir talks about what he's learned from his parents, his mixed feelings about being called a social media influencer and the deeply personal journey he took to find his roots while the world watched in real time. 

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevork Mourad is an Armenian-Syrian artist who collaborates with musicians, creating visual art in front of live audiences. He has worked with some of the most celebrated performers in classical music including Yo-Yo Ma, violist Kim Kashkashian and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He talks about growing up as an Armenian in Syria, developing his unique practice, the thrill of creating art in front of a crowd, and how war has changed the way he paints.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ayesha Khanna is a global leader in artificial intelligence and an advocate for good governance in the tech sector. As the co-founder and CEO of ADDO AI, she has helped develop projects like smart cities and financial innovations.

She talks about why she believes the world should look east for models of tech governance, the ethical struggles involved in AI and what technology can teach us about humanity.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.