Following its success at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in 2015, the internationally acclaimed exhibition “Marvellous Creatures: Animals in Islamic Art” has launched in Toronto, Canada, and is on show at the Aga Khan Museum until September 11.
The exhibition, developed and produced originally in Qatar by the MIA under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, focuses on the real and mythical animals that appear in the legends, tales and fables of the Islamic world. 
The “Marvellous Creatures” exhibition has been expanded in Toronto and includes additional works from the Aga Khan Museum Collection, loans from international private and public institutions and a contemporary installation by Lebanese artist Mohamed-Said Baalbaki.
Divided into the natural quadrants of fire, air, earth and water, these magical creatures take centre stage in artworks on show at the museum, spanning the 7th to 21st centuries, and introduce well-known and beloved classic fables from the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent, including ‘Kalila wa Dimna’, the ‘Shahnameh’ and ‘One Thousand and One Nights’.
The wide variety of objects presented in the exhibition – including manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass and metalwork - demonstrates the “enduring appeal of these characters and stories across diverse cultures and generations”, according to a statement. The illustrations and motifs seen in the exhibition reflect the diversity of Islamic art production.
Shaika Nasser al-Nassr, head of exhibitions at the MIA, said: “The timeless tales highlighted in the exhibition will appeal to people of all different cultures all over the world. We hope that this exhibition successfully introduces these stories to a new audience to create new opportunities for dialogue and exchange, to educate visitors on the breadth of Islamic art production and help the world understand the essence of Qatar.”
“Whether you’re considering ‘Aesop’s Fables’ or a Persian epic like the ‘Shahnameh’, marvellous creatures of all kinds play a powerful role in our collective imaginations,” says Director and CEO Henry Kim. “This is a fascinating exhibition that will engage the whole family.”
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Aga Khan Museum will host a series of family-friendly activities, including two day-long camps for children, a “build-your-own creature” station and a family storybook reading corner.