London’s first interfaith art exhibition launches as Ramadan Lights expands

Central London will host its first-ever interfaith art exhibition this year, as the Aziz Foundation expands its high-profile Ramadan Lights London programme beyond its iconic West End illuminations and into the visual arts.

Launched this week, Shared Light is a free, open-call exhibition forming part of Ramadan Lights London 2026, the annual Coventry Street installation that has become a landmark moment in the capital’s cultural calendar. The exhibition will run from 13 February to 22 March 2026, coinciding with Ramadan, and will be free for the public to visit.

Set within the hotel café at Zedwell Piccadilly Circus, inside the London Trocadero, the exhibition is designed as a contemplative space amid the intensity of the West End. Organisers say it will invite visitors of all backgrounds to pause and reflect on shared values that cut across faiths and cultures.

Artists are being invited to submit 2D artworks, exploring themes associated with Ramadan, including generosity, gratitude, patience, empathy, forgiveness, humility, peace, hope and community. While rooted in the Muslim holy month, the foundation stresses that these values are universal and resonate across religious traditions, including Judaism.

The open call is free to enter, open to artists of all faiths and none, and judged anonymously on artistic merit and the universality of the message. Works will not be sold on site, though visitors will be able to learn more about each piece via QR codes displayed alongside the artworks.

The exhibition will be curated by Raheel Khan, a former Aziz Scholar and recipient of the Goldsmiths Alumni Award 2025, whose work has been shown at institutions including Whitechapel Gallery, South London Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery.

Joe Dobson, Director of The Aziz Foundation, said: “Shared Light is a landmark moment for The Aziz Foundation. As our first art exhibition and the first interfaith exhibition of its kind in central London, it reflects our belief that culture has a vital role in building understanding and social cohesion.

“Ramadan Lights London has always been about visibility and belonging – Shared Light deepens that mission through art. We are especially thrilled that one of our very own Aziz Scholars, Raheel Khan, will be curating the exhibition. His exceptional talent and commitment to giving back to society perfectly embody the values of our scholar community and the spirit of this project.”

Rahima Aziz BEM, a trustee of the foundation, said the exhibition reflected the wider moral aims of Ramadan: “At its heart, Ramadan is about reflection, kindness and responsibility to others. Shared Light brings these values to life in a way that welcomes everyone, regardless of faith or background. The exhibition will reaffirm our commitment to a society that honours dignity and mutual respect.”

Khan said the project was rooted in shared humanity rather than religious difference: “Shared Light is about exploring the values that connect us across cultures and faiths. I am thrilled to be curating this exhibition for The Aziz Foundation and to contribute to a project that celebrates shared humanity. By allowing the artworks to speak for themselves, the exhibition will create space for reflection, dialogue and moments of unexpected connection between visitors.”

For Jewish audiences, the exhibition sits within a growing landscape of Jewish-Muslim cultural collaboration in London, using public art to promote dialogue, mutual respect and social cohesion at a time of heightened communal tension.

Submissions for Shared Light opened this week and close at 11.59pm on 25 January 2026, with selected artists due to be notified by the end of the month.