Deixis Gallery Exhibition Guidelines

Deixis Gallery is a Muslim owned gallery. While its audience is vast and diverse, working with artists of all faiths, ideologies, and backgrounds, any exhibited works/submissions must adhere to the curation guidelines that fall within the constraints of an “Islamically sound” exhibition.

The proposed guideline constraints set about are due to the adopted Islamic values of the curator and gallerist, Bikile in order to refrain from exhibiting works which fall under the category of “Iconography” which is forbidden in Islam.

Note: While there are minor constraints, the possibilities of exhibition submissions are vast. Therefore, please review the guidelines below before submitting.

Acceptable Works:

  • Life drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed media that depict humans/creatures given that eyes are not clearly depicted in the images.

  • Painting and printmaking

  • Fine art photography

  • Text-based visual works

  • Films and video/audio media

  • Sculpture works of an abstract nature, furniture, ceramics, and woodwork

Works that will not be accepted:

  • Works that depict life (humans or animals) with eyes clearly depicted will not be accepted. However, images of humans and animals that do not include clear outlines of eyes are acceptable.

    • Ex. a painting of a figure whose eyes are not visible in the work are acceptable.

  • Works with depictions of nudity will not be accepted.

  • Any video/textual/audio media that includes nudity, excessive profanity, or unjust/hateful speech will not be accepted.

  • An example of a work that is not acceptable under Deixis Gallery submission guidelines:

Sargent Portrait Study
Mika Aubin

Note: There is a clear depiction of eyes in the above work.

This submission would not be considered under Deixis Gallery’s guidelines.

An example of work depicting life that is acceptable:

Sargent study of Nonchaloir (repose)
Mika Aubin

Note: The eyes of the figure in the above work are not clearly depicted. This would be an acceptable submission under Deixis Gallery’s guidelines. The same guidelines apply for photographs, drawings, sculpture, and mixed media works. Such guidelines do NOT apply to films, however.

With the above guidelines in mind, it should be acknowledged that Deixis Gallery happily represents diverse works and supports artists from all backgrounds, faiths, ideologies, and perspectives given that submitted works adhere to the above guidelines.

About Deixis Gallery

Deixis Gallery is a multidisciplinary community and contemporary art gallery working within the realms of literature, subculture, and fine art with the future in mind. At Deixis Gallery, we are dedicated to showcasing innovative and thought-provoking contemporary art that resonates with themes of newness, change, and unorthodoxy. We invite artists and curators to submit proposals for exhibitions that align with our mission and vision. Exhibition proposals can be sent to gallery@deixisofficial.com.

Deixis Gallery was founded by writer and curator, Bilal Bikile in 2024.