Gifted: Selected Artworks from the SOAS Collections

‘Gifted’ is an exhibition drawing upon SOAS's remarkably rich but relatively little-known art collection. Concentrating on modern and contemporary artworks, it displays a selection of works given as gifts and donations to SOAS and provides the opportunity to share and display many of these for the first time to encourage wider engagement with the SOAS Object and Artwork Collection.

Opening times

The exhibition is open from 9th October - 13th December 2025, Tuesday – Saturday (10:30am to 5:00pm) and late on Thursdays until 8:00pm. The roof garden is open whenever the exhibitions are open. 

By the nature of their acquisition the collection and included works here are eclectic, but they have in common that they have all been donated to SOAS in recognition of its standing as a global institution for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They range from paintings given by artists, guest curators and collectors who have exhibited in the SOAS Gallery to items gifted by members of the public, staff and alumni in appreciation of the quality of their experiences here.

Although eclectic in appearance, the collection has developed with a consistent underlying purpose: to enrich teaching and learning. The histories of the donors and artists are often as compelling as the works themselves, with each object arriving at SOAS accompanied by its own distinctive story.

The scope of the collections reflects SOAS’s geographical focus, encompassing Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. As the majority of works on display have been acquired within the past 15 years, the holdings are particularly strong in Modernist and contemporary art. Like SOAS’s teaching and research, the collection challenges assumptions that the arts of these regions represent an unbroken traditional past. Instead, it highlights the dynamism and evolving nature of artistic practice across diverse cultural landscapes.