Bass School Education and Mentorship Enable Art History Students to Pursue Prestigious Pathways

This fall, Nida Jaffer MA’25, a recent graduate of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, will begin her journey toward a PhD in the History of Art and Architecture at Brown University. Ketaki Devani BA’24, a fellow Bass art history graduate, began pursuing a doctoral degree this semester at the University of Chicago. She has enrolled in a program that allows her to embark on her PhD pathway with her bachelor’s degree in Visual and Performing Arts from the Bass School.

Both students were shepherded toward higher education under the guidance of Dr. Ali Alibhai, assistant professor of Islamic art and architecture. Their interests lie in art and architecture created in the Medieval Mediterranean and South Asia, with Jaffer focusing on the Fatimid Dynasty. The Fatimids were located around Northern Africa and the eastern shore of the Arabian Peninsula from the 10th to 12th centuries CE.

“My current thesis focuses on the role of water in Fatimid art and architecture. I analyze the poetics, architectural, and symbolic significance in the medieval Mediterranean. My research explores the ideas of purity, cultic purity, and how that affects their religious worldview – which also is their legal structure,” Jaffer explained.

Devani, on the other hand, completed her undergraduate capstone on sculptures from Ancient and Medieval India of women in the tribhanga pose – a stance that can be observed as far back as a millennium in Indian art. She was able to trace the origins of the iconic pose to various deific sculptures throughout the subcontinent.

“In every class that she took with me, she was intuitive, she was growing, she really challenged herself,” Dr. Alibhai observed about Devani.

Devani, who initially had chosen UT Dallas for its pre-med program, said she was inspired by Dr. Alibhai and other faculty members in the art history department. “I remember walking into his class on the first day. He asked the question, ‘What is art?’ – and I was enamored.” Devani recalled, “I walked out of that class, and I thought, ‘Do I want to be a doctor anymore?’”

Jaffer had a similar experience. “Dr. [Rosemary] Admiral introduced me to Dr. Alibhai in my senior year – I didn’t know there was a Fatimid historian on campus.” She recounted, “He was my undergraduate senior thesis advisor, and he convinced me to stay and work with him. Our interests aligned so much – it was like fate almost, because it seemed too perfect. That’s where my journey with art history began – because I wanted to work with Dr. Alibhai.”

Through their collaboration with Dr. Alibhai and their participation in the art history program, both students were able to take advantage of incredible opportunities. In January 2023, Devani was able to secure a position as an Art Education Intern at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, a role that typically was occupied by graduate students. “I knew she was ready for it. I recommended her, and she did super well with them,” Dr. Alibhai said.

Jaffer spent the past two summers traveling abroad conducting research. “Over the summer I visited 16 cities as part of research for my master’s thesis. I attended a workshop in Spain with Dr. Glaire Anderson, who leads the Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Culture and Collections at The University of Edinburgh,” Jaffer shared.

As part of the workshop, Jaffer and Dr. Alibhai were granted an exclusive tour of one of the most culturally significant mosques in the world: the Great Mosque of Córdoba. “We got to go underneath, which is very special. We went inside the mihrab –which is like a prayer niche, but not everybody can go inside. It’s closed off to the public,” Jaffer described. 

After that, she spent two months in Morocco studying Arabic. “She’s braver than I was at that age. I would be so scared to travel the Mediterranean by myself,” Dr. Alibhai laughed. “But she’s an adventurer.”

Both students reached new heights through their education and mentorship at the Bass School.  Dr. Alibhai’s teaching philosophy in particular highlights the importance of meeting students on their level. “Looking at the intellectual diversity of students is where I start – and knowing that it’s not about putting them to a certain goal where they match your way of thinking, and your way of seeing,” he explained. “It’s giving them each tool in the box. Give them as many skills as they can to interpret art and history in a way that is conducive to the changing world, right?”

“Dr. Alibhai has been a great mentor and person – he provided every opportunity to me and opened so many doors. I feel forever indebted to him. He’s been so supportive. I would not have been able to get to Brown without his help,” Jaffer professed.

Jaffer and Devani illustrate the life-changing power of education and the importance of persistent passion within their fields. “Both of them cross disciplines. They are not afraid to try new things – and the Bass School encourages that. I think they’re a perfect example of the strengths that the Bass School offers in their curriculum,” Dr. Alibhai noted.