معرفی
Francesca Leoni is a Research Fellow and curator at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford. She specializes in Islamic art with a focus on cross-cultural exchanges, occult sciences, and modern Middle Eastern art. Her roles include being the Yousef Jameel Curator of Islamic Art (2011–16) and Research Associate at the Khalili Research Centre. She has held teaching and curatorial positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Rice University.
- Education: Laurea Degree in Oriental Languages and Civilizations from Istituto Universitario L’Orientale di Napoli (1999), MA and PhD from Princeton University (2005, 2008)
Her research interests span book arts, cross-cultural interactions between the Islamic world and Europe/Asia, circulation of technologies, occultism, and contemporary Middle Eastern art. She has received grants from the Leverhulme Trust, Barakat Trust, Art Fund, and British Institute for Persian Studies.
Recent publications explore Islamicate occult sciences, Sufi talismans, and mystical art. Her work bridges historical analysis with modern artistic interpretations, emphasizing themes like the supernatural, poetic imagery, and cultural authenticity.
Notable collaborations include co-editing Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice (Brill, 2020) and curating the 2016 exhibition Power and Protection: Islamic Art and the Supernatural. She has contributed to international journals and museum catalogues.
