Dr. Fahmida Suleman

Biography

Fahmida Suleman is a Curator of Islamic Art and Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), where she is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies to build, manage, and interpret the museum's world-class collection of Islamic art and material culture, the largest collection of its kind in Canada. Her role includes leading strategic acquisitions, developing public programs and exhibitions, and further engaging the Islamic community in Toronto, Canada. Prior to her position at ROM, Fahmida served as the Phyllis Bishop Curator of the Modern Middle East at the British Museum, where she was responsible for the museum's collection of ethnographic objects and textiles from the Middle East and Central Asia. Additionally, she has worked as a consultant for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture during the development phase of the Aga Khan Museum. Raised in Toronto, she holds a degree in Islamic Religious Studies from the University of Toronto and both Masters and Doctoral degrees in Islamic Art and Archaeology from the University of Oxford. Fahmida completed the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, UK. She began her role at the museum in January 2019, at a dynamic time as the museum charts a new course for the future, developing and delivering relevant, high-impact programs and exhibitions that reflect the art and culture of her audience's world.

Research Interests