Zainub Verjee, Executive Director of Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries, is among the 2023 Honorary Degree Recipients announced by Simon Fraser University (SFU), Burnaby, Canada.
SFU’s honorary degree is the highest honour conferred by the university. The degrees are awarded to distinguished individuals in recognition of their scholarly, scientific or artistic achievement, or in recognition of exceptional contribution to the public good.
Zainub, an alumna of SFU, through her work and scholarship, has raised the level of cultural policy debate and discussion on arts in Canada and beyond. Verjee’s firm belief that art is a public good and is rooted in the transformational power of arts and culture.
“I am a firm believer in the centrality of Arts in our society and will continue through my endeavours to uphold this conviction “, says Verjee.
Zainub Verjee is a senior fellow of Massey College, McLaughlin College Fellow, has received an honorary doctorate from OCAD University in 2021, honorary doctorate from NSCAD University in 2022 and is a laureate of the 2020 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Art for Outstanding Contribution.
Source: SFU Press Release
Also see:
Article by Zainub Verjee published in Galleries West Magazine:
Image in Islam: La Longue durée
Figural representation in Islamic art is a controversial topic in classrooms and museums
At its crux are two issues: the primary one is the history and place of an image in Islam,
while the secondary one was the response to the primary issue, in this case by the
educational institution. While the discourse on the primary issue may be a settled one
but what defines the optics and the re-emergence of these contestations has more to do
with the cultural politics of the day and how institutions have responded to them.
Further, in view of the inaugural edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale that opened in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January this year and runs till the last week of April, the
incident at Hamline University becomes more eloquent, and ironic. While its very locus
of at the gateway to Makkah, in the historic Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, which incidentally
was the recipient of the 1983 Aga Khan Award for Architecture , the Islamic Arts
Biennale is attracting an international spotlight, bringing together centuries of faith and
artistic expression.
Full article at Galleries West
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