A new exhibition titled "Deviant Ornaments" opens at the National Museum (Nasjonalmuseet) of Norway in Oslo, running from 27 November 2025 to 15 March 2026. Curated by Noor Bhangu, a South Asian curator and scholar based in Norway, the show explores queer desires and practices in the visual cultures of the Islamic world, bringing together over 40 works spanning 1,000 years. It connects historical objects—such as a Safavid textile, a 19th-century armband, and 13th-century Iranian wall tiles—with works by 12 contemporary artists, including Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Alize Zorlutuna, Shahzia Sikander, Taner Ceylan, Damien Ajavon, Rah Eleh, Kasra Jalilipour, and Sa’dia Rehman. Four works are newly commissioned.
The exhibition matters because it challenges the assumption that queer desires in Islamic contexts are solely products of Western modernity, instead visualizing a "queer genealogy of Islamic art history" that spans centuries. It addresses the sensitivity of homosexuality in many Muslim communities by situating spiritual and protective motifs—like the Hand of Fatima—within historical and cultural contexts. By juxtaposing historical and contemporary works, the show highlights both continuities and discontinuities in artistic and symbolic traditions, offering a nuanced perspective on sexuality, religion, and diaspora in the Islamic world.