Jochen Sokoly

Dr. Jochen Sokoly is an Associate Professor of Art History at VCUarts Qatar, specializing in Islamic Art and Architecture. He served as Gallery Director at VCUarts Qatar from 2004–2011 and has held research fellowships at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harvard's Aga Khan Program. His research focuses on Early Islamic caliphates' material culture, particularly textiles, and British India's artistic heritage. Sokoly has curated exhibitions on Middle Eastern contemporary art and co-edited works on inscribed textiles. His recent projects include studies on 18th-century British India painters and botanical illustrations.

Education:

• D.Phil, University of Oxford, 2002
• M.Phil, University of Oxford, 1992
• M.A., SOAS University of London, 1999 (Distinction)
• B.A., SOAS University of London, 1989 (First Class Honors)

Research Interests: His work spans Early Islamic caliphates' material culture, British India's art and natural history, and contemporary Middle Eastern art. Key themes include textiles' role in administration, epigraphic studies, and colonial-era collecting practices.

Recent Achievements:

• Recipient of Aga Khan Fellowship (2020)
• Co-editor of Social Fabrics: Inscribed Textiles from Medieval Egyptian Tombs (2022)
• Published The Seas and the Mobility of Islamic Art (2021)

Grants & Collaborations: sokoly has secured multiple grants, including the Presidential Research Quest Fund (2020) and Max Van Berchem Foundation Grant (2017). He serves on the Royal Asiatic Society's Council and collaborates with institutions like the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha.

Labs/Teams: Engaged with the Aga Khan Program at Harvard and collaborates on exhibitions through VCUarts Qatar's curatorial initiatives.