Michael Chagnon

Michael Chagnon serves as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto and Curator at the Aga Khan Museum, specializing in painting and book arts from the early modern Persianate sphere.

Education:

• PhD, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (2015)

His research centers on Islamic visual culture with emphasis on Safavid-era manuscript production, Sufi iconography, and gender dynamics in Persianate art. He investigates material-object relationships and subversive narratives within religious and courtly contexts, bridging art historical analysis with material culture studies. His methodology integrates close visual reading with socio-historical frameworks to uncover marginalized perspectives in Islamic artistic traditions.

Recent publications reveal a focused trajectory on 17th-century Iran, examining how textual and visual elements negotiate power structures. Key themes include spiritual embodiment in Rumi-related imagery, gendered interventions in manuscript cycles, and material agency in ceramic objects. His work consistently connects micro-historical case studies to broader discourses on Islamic artistic identity.

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As Curator at the Aga Khan Museum, he leads exhibition development teams for major shows including Rumi: A Visual Journey (2023) and Hakan Topal: The Golden Cage (2022), collaborating with international scholars and artists to translate academic research into public-facing cultural programming.