معرفی
Christiane Gruber is Professor of Islamic Art in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she also served as Department Chair from 2019 to 2022. She is the founding director of Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online and has held visiting appointments at Indiana University, Humboldt University, and Sorbonne University.
Education
- PhD Islamic Art History, University of Pennsylvania, 2005
- MA Islamic Architecture, University of Pennsylvania, 2001
- BA Art History, Princeton University, 1998
Research Interests
Gruber’s scholarship spans medieval to contemporary Islamic visual culture with three core focal areas: (1) Islamic book arts, codicology, and paleography; (2) paintings of the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic ascension texts and images; and (3) modern and contemporary Islamic visual and material culture. Current projects include eco-Islamic art and architecture and the visual culture of the Nation of Islam.
Publications & Trends
Her output includes three monographs—The Praiseworthy One (2019), The Ilkhanid Book of Ascension (2010), and The Islamic Manuscript Tradition (2009)—and numerous edited volumes that collectively explore manuscript illumination, prophetic imagery, cross-cultural exchange, and the politics of representation in both pre-modern and modern Islamic societies.
Scientific Awards & Grants
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- Max-Planck Foundation Grant
- Mellon Foundation Grant
- National Endowment for the Humanities Grant
- Fulbright-Hays Fellowship
- American Research Institute in Turkey Fellowship
- American Institute of Iranian Studies Fellowship
- American Research Center in Egypt Fellowship
Professional Service & Outreach
- President-Elect, Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) 2020-21; board member 2008-2010 & 2020-
- Founder & Director, Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online (2020–)
- Editor, H-ISLAMART scholarly listserv (2008-2010)
- Public essays in Newsweek, The Conversation, Jadaliyya, New Lines Magazine, Prospect Magazine
Labs, Teams & Exhibitions
Gruber curates exhibitions at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (e.g., Byzantine and Islamic Gallery Spotlight #2, 2023-24) and has co-curated shows at the Aga Khan Museum (The Moon: A Voyage Through Time, 2019) and the University of Michigan’s Pearls of Wisdom exhibition, integrating graduate student mentorship into curatorial practice.
