Mix & Match: Beauty from the world of Islam

Recurring Motifs

In the exhibition, the personal search for beauty of Kamalia Talhaoui comes together with the rich collection of Islamic applied arts at Kunstmuseum Den Haag. As a second-generation Moroccan-Dutch woman, she grew up between different worlds with different expectations. Later in life, as a young mother, the space to develop in her own way also proved far from self-evident, yet she continued to search for ways to remain true to her own voice.

This search led her to her inner world, where writing, nature and Islam form lasting anchors. In the museum, she connects these personal reference points with objects such as calligraphy, plant and bird decorations, motifs of the moon and stars, and a mosque lamp in which light and word reinforce one another. In this way, beauty becomes not a fixed ideal, but an experience that moves along with the process of becoming who you are.