Holiday Gift Guide for Artists & Creatives -Islamic Art Lovers-

The festive season is upon us and you might be looking for special gifts for the artists and creatives in your life. I have a lot of students who celebrate Christmas and they are obsessed with Islamic arts, so I thought of making a special guide for them that will help you shop better. Even if you don’t celebrate any winter holiday occasions, you will find this creative gift guide useful especially if anyone in your life LOVES Islamic art. Ps. treat yourself too ;)

Islamic art is not one thing, but a collection of various arts that include geometry, illumination, calligraphy, miniature painting, ceramics, wood carving and textile. All of these arts and crafts include a similar theme that goes through them that gave all of them the name of Islamic arts. These arts were also found in Islamic lands from the 8th to 18th century. It’s a vast category of arts and crafts, but this term is used for a lack of a better name.
This post will only cover islamic geometry, illumination, calligraphy and painting!

Bundle of art supplies

This might be the most obvious option in terms of art, but if you are going down this route please make sure that you are getting the RIGHT supplies. For this idea, you need to know the type of art that the person does and make sure you get them QUALITY supplies. I got so many random basic watercolours that I never used and ended up giving away just because they are extremely basic quality that I would never use. Do a little bit of research on the types of colours, papers and brush that your artist uses and plan accordingly. If you are in the UK, then Cass Art is a great starting point to buy art supplies. They have everything and I LOVE them. Otherwise there is always Amazon!

Islamic Art Books

Islamic art books are really good to have as resources and there are few general ones that cover everything that is Islamic art, but others that are more specific to Islamic geometry, illumination or calligraphy and so on. These are few general options that I think your Islamic art lover person would enjoy:

Geometric Jewellery

Geometric jewellery is a more general gift if you aren’t sure what type of Islamic arts your person loves because geometry is always loved and it’s one of the basis for a lot of arts within the Islamic art umbrella.

Islamic Illumination Workshops

If your person is interested in Islamic arts, but you aren’t sure how much they know or want to learn, it might be fun to sign them up on one of my islamic illumination online courses for a way to get them more into this type of Islamic art.

Islamic Geometry Workshop

Seriously workshops are always a brilliant gift and I always love receiving it. If you know that your person has an appreciation for Islamic geometry, then my friend Samira Mian offers a really good collection of in person AND online workshops that you can choose from.

House decor with a little bling

If your person is one of my students, chances are SHE LOVES GOLD because it’s one of the main things we use in the Islamic illumination workshops and there are some cute golden house items that would work a treat. Ps. fine line between gold pretty and gold tacky.

Arabesque Accessories

Just like the geometric jewellery, this is a general gift that is inspired from the Islamic world (more specifically the Arabs). There are a few cute handmade options on Etsy if you want something unique or again Amazon is there for you!

Holiday to an Islamic art destination

When I first started learning about Islamic arts, I signed up to art specific trips with the Art of Islamic Pattern that really helped my growth and developed a more passionate approach to the field of Islamic arts. I went to Granada, Fez and Istanbul with them and loved every minute. This is such a wonderful idea if you want to really treat your person. Alternatively, you can book a holiday in one of those destinations because just being in that space surrounded by beautiful Islamic patterns is a huge inspiration.

Tile inspired presents

Islamic inspired geometric and arabesque tiles are a beautiful addition to homes, offices and any space really. You can gift just one tile as a coaster or as framed art, or be very generous and offer to get your person a tile installation for part of their wall! There are also all the tile inspired items and accessories and the internet is FULL of them!

Islamic art paintings & prints

My last suggestion in this guide is to get either an original art painting or a print from one of the artists your person loves. You can get one of my paintings ahem!!

Also, the artists I am following on instagram are great and a lot of them have ready ones or do commissions.

Happy shopping!!

Ps. Some of the links in this post are affiliates meaning, I get a small commission to support this content with no extra cost to you. Read full disclaimer.

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