The Jenny Penney Local Makers Shop & Gallery at Mangerton Mill is currently hosting a solo exhibition of works by painter David Brooke. The show features Brooke’s signature narrative style, which blends elements of mythology, fantasy, and humor into intricate, dreamlike scenes. Visitors are invited to explore the detailed brushwork and hidden stories within his characters and landscapes through May 20.
A new exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, titled *Empire of Light: Visions and Voices from Afghanistan*, highlights Afghanistan’s art and history from pre-Islamic times to the present day. Running until 30 May and timed to Art Basel Qatar week, the show draws primarily from MIA’s collection, with loans from Qatari institutions and international lenders such as the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian. It includes historical objects like a 13th-century ewer and a 9th-century Qur’an folio, as well as contemporary works such as Khadim Ali’s *Un-Safe Heaven* (2025), a textile piece embroidered by Afghan men and women. No objects come from Afghan museums, but large-scale wooden models and glass vessels were produced in Afghanistan with help from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Artist Ms Walker, a recent graduate, is participating in the 29th annual Three Counties art exhibition. Her work, titled 'Factory Worker's Jacket,' explores the loss of traditional craftsmanship in north Staffordshire, focusing on the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent and the silk and natural dye industry in Leek. The piece uses vintage and naturally dyed fabrics patchworked together, distressed, and visibly mended to tell the story of pottery makers working in dangerous factory conditions and constantly repairing their worn uniforms. The free exhibition features a diverse mix of art, including paintings, photography, and a motorbike installation, and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 15:00 BST.
Unesco has raised grave concerns for Kyiv's 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, after its facade was damaged by a Russian drone strike on Tuesday. Ukraine's culture minister Mykola Tochytskyi reported that the plastered cornice of the central apse was hit, and while the interior survived intact, vibration from explosions threatens the monument's structural integrity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, and UNESCO officials have visited to assess damage and discuss emergency conservation. The cathedral, known for its mosaics and frescoes, was added to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2023.
Pakistan's first textiles museum, The Haveli, has opened in Karachi, housed in the Modernist villa of collector Nasreen Askari and her husband Hasan Askari. The museum preserves indigenous weaving, embroidery, and dye work from the Sindh province, focusing on the material culture of diverse communities including Hindus and Muslims. Nasreen Askari began collecting these textiles in the 1970s while working as a doctor, inspired by the intricate designs on her patients' clothing that revealed their identity, religion, and social status. The collection includes rare shawls, bridal tunics, and embroidered dowry pouches called bujhki, many from nomadic and tribal communities.