Shezad Dawood is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends stories, reality and symbolism to engage with big questions about humanity, and explore alternative futures.

He speaks to AR about his latest project, Night in the Garden of Love, an immersive experience that uses virtual reality to bring visitors into a fantastical world. It's based on a science fiction novella of the same name by the late musician and polymath Yusef Lateef. Shezad talks about Lateef's unique view of the world, collaborating with an artist who he never met, and his own lifelong discomfort with choosing an artistic medium.

Shezad Dawood is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends stories, reality and symbolism to engage with big questions about humanity, and explore alternative futures. He speaks to AR about his latest project, Night in the Garden of Love, an immersive experience that uses virtual reality to bring visitors into a fantastical world. It's based on a science fiction novella of the same name by the late musician and polymath Yusef Lateef. Shezad talks about Lateef's unique view of the world, collaborating with an artist who he never met, and his own lifelong discomfort with choosing an artistic medium.

This Being Human is a new podcast by the Aga Khan Museum. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an incredible person at the top of their game on Muslim art, culture, history, and society. They'll explore everything from prayer and pilgrimage, politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, and film, sports and music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversation, this one-of-a-kind podcast hopes to bridge divides, dispel myths, and learn things we didn’t know about the kaleidoscope of the Muslim experience.

This Being Human is produced by Antica Productions. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their leadership support to develop and produce This Being Human.

This Being Human is a new podcast by the Aga Khan Museum.

This Being Human

This Being Human is a podcast by the Aga Khan Museum and TVO. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an insightful guest about Muslim art, culture, history and society. You’ll hear fascinating explorations of everything from prayer and pilgrimage to politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, film, sports, music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversations, this one-of-a-kind podcast aims to bridge divides, dispel myths, and allow us to learn things we didn’t know about the kaleidoscope of Muslim experiences in our world today.

This Being Human is a podcast by the Aga Khan Museum and TVO. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an insightful guest about Muslim art, culture, history and society. You&rsquo;ll hear fascinating explorations of everything from prayer and pilgrimage to politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, film, sports, music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversations, this one-of-a-kind podcast aims to bridge divides, dispel myths, and&nbsp;allow us to&nbsp;learn things we didn&rsquo;t know about the kaleidoscope of&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;experiences in our world today.

Shezad Dawood's Virtual Garden of Love

In this episode of This Being Human we delve deep into the profound significance of poetry in modernity through the lens of renowned poet and artist, Amir Sulaiman. Hailing from Rochester, New York, Amir's poetic journey has traversed continents, resonating with audiences globally.
From his exploration of existential inquiries to the unraveling of universal themes such as love, spirituality, and human connection, Amir's verse serves as a sacred mirror reflecting the complexities of the human soul.
Traversing continents with Amir's poetic resonance and universal appeal, we explore how poetry serves as a bridge, transcending cultural boundaries and uniting hearts across the expanse of our shared humanity, and how personally it's led him to collaborate with other celebrated artists like Ramy Youssef, Dave Chappelle, and Robert Glasper.

As we contemplate the future of poetry in the digital age, Amir envisions its continued relevance as a guiding light amidst the complexities of modern life, serving as a compass for the human spirit amidst the noise and chaos of contemporary society.

In this episode of This Being Human we delve deep into the profound significance of poetry in modernity through the lens of renowned poet and artist, Amir Sulaiman. Hailing from Rochester, New York, Amir's poetic journey has traversed continents, resonating with audiences globally. From his exploration of existential inquiries to the unraveling of universal themes such as love, spirituality, and human connection, Amir's verse serves as a sacred mirror reflecting the complexities of the human soul. Traversing continents with Amir's poetic resonance and universal appeal, we explore how poetry serves as a bridge, transcending cultural boundaries and uniting hearts across the expanse of our shared humanity, and how personally it's led him to collaborate with other celebrated artists like Ramy Youssef, Dave Chappelle, and Robert Glasper. As we contemplate the future of poetry in the digital age, Amir envisions its continued relevance as a guiding light amidst the complexities of modern life, serving as a compass for the human spirit amidst the noise and chaos of contemporary society.

Amir Sulaiman's Journey From Poet to Screenwriter

Kiran Ahluwalia is a true innovator-her songs blend the music of India with influences from Mali and western blues, rock, R&B and jazz to create a sound unlike any other artist. Over the last two decades, Kiran has studied under masters of classical Indian music and collaborated with iconic North African artists, most notably the iconic desert blues group Tinariwen. On this episode, she talks about her new single, Pancake, her decision to leave her career in Canada to study music in India, and her family's experience of the partition of India.

Kiran Ahluwalia on blending cultures and making music

Jude Chehab is a young filmmaker whose first feature film, Q, has cemented her in lists of best new directors to watch. Q is a beautifully shot and intimate portrait of Jude's mother's relationship to an all-female religious group in Lebanon. It has won multiple awards, including at the Tribeca Film Festival, and is being lauded for being a genre-breaking documentary film. She tells us how she learned to weave a story that retains some level of mystery, but is grounded in humanity—as she learned from one of her teachers in film, the legendary Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami.

You can learn more about Jude's work at www.judechehab.com.

To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

Jude Chehab is a young filmmaker whose first feature film, Q, has cemented her in lists of best new directors to watch. Q is a beautifully shot and intimate portrait of Jude's mother's relationship to an all-female religious group in Lebanon. It has won multiple awards, including at the Tribeca Film Festival, and is being lauded for being a genre-breaking documentary film. She tells us how she learned to weave a story that retains some level of mystery, but is grounded in humanity—as she learned from one of her teachers in film, the legendary Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. You can learn more about Jude's work at www.judechehab.com. To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

Shezad Dawood's Virtual Garden of Love

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