Tasting Geographies

Join us for a virtual gallery talk and poetry reading stemming from It Comes in Many Forms: Islamic Art from the Collection, which explores the diversity of Islamic art around the world and across centuries. Following the digital tour with Tayana Fincher, Nancy Prophet Fellow in Costume and Textiles, enjoy a poetry reading by local creatives in the Muslim diaspora, including Yunus Quddus, an actor, performer, and poet, Foqia Mushtaq, a biochemist and neuroscientist, and Hasan Askari, Co-Founder of Concept Link.
Free. Registrants will receive a Zoom link (and dessert recipe!) with their confirmation email.
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Yunus Quddus is a writer, performer, poet, actor, and storyteller who began playing with words at the age of six. Writing and remixing classic poetry and stories, as well as creating his own original works has driven and sustained his passion for words throughout his entire life. He has performed at numerous venues and events, including PPAC and The State Capital of Rhode Island. For the past 15+ years in Rhode Island he has read his poetry and stories at every major University, such as Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island, Brown University, and RISD. His vibe and energy ignites any room he performs in. Recently, he won first place in Boston’s First Night Poetry Slam 2013 at The Boston Convention Center, and has been sharing art secrets and skills with students and teachers for over 10 years. He is a Theater and Performance Arts major at The Community College of Rhode Island. Yunus has dedicated himself to taking every class within the performance and literary arts sphere. His life goal is to master the arts, while teaching others to do the same.  
Dr. Foqia Mushtaq is a Pakistani-American poet who resides in Rhode Island. She started writing poetry at a very young age and started taking part in poetry recitals (Mushaira) in her native country, soon becoming a well-known and well-received contributor in poetry circles of Pakistan. While following an academic career in life sciences during and after completing her doctorate in Neuropharmacology, and subsequently becoming an assistant professor, she never lost sight of her poetic pursuits and maintained a presence in the Urdu poetry sphere. Her work has been consistently publishing in various Urdu literary magazines in the Indian subcontinent. There has also been commentary and critical essays written about her work by notable Urdu literature critics and journalists. Since 2010 after moving to the United States, Foqia has been busy writing and presenting her poetry in numerous literary settings and venues in North America.
Hasan Askari is a Creative Director and Co-Founder of a Rhode Island-based design and print studio, Concept Link. Beside being an entrepreneur, he has also enjoyed a journalistic career and contributed in critical studies and creative nonfiction. He is currently working on an anthology of English translations of contemporary Urdu poetry. Hasan will be presenting the English translation of Foqia Mushtaq's poetry.
 
Image: Indian, Marwar, Equestrian Portrait of a Raja, Gift of Catherine and Ralph Benkaim