Jazeel Mati

Thesis

Thesis

Revisiting Jālī/Mashrabiya

Supervisor: Professor Gamal Abdelmonem

Biography

Biography

I am an emerging art and architectural historian whose work bridges the worlds of research, design, and visual culture. Currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture at the University of York, I hold an M.Phil. in Art History and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the University of the Punjab.

My research explores how traditional South Asian aesthetics particularly architectural ornament and spatial poetics inform contemporary design and cultural identity. With experience ranging from art coordination to fashion design, I have curated exhibitions, guided young artists, and contributed to public art projects such as the renewal of Pakistan’s largest mural painting.

My creative practice and scholarship are united by a passion for reinterpreting heritage through a modern lens. Beyond academia, I find inspiration in photography, image-making, and the exploration of architectural heritage across cultures.

Research

Research Interests

My research examines the historical and aesthetic trajectories of the Mashrabiya and its South Asian counterpart, the Jālī, situating these architectural elements at the intersection of light, privacy, and environmental comfort. I am particularly interested in how these intricate perforated screens function not merely as ornamental features but as dynamic mediators of social and spatial experience, embodying broader cultural, artistic, and technological narratives.

Through comparative analysis and material study, this work traces the evolution of these forms from traditional artisanal practice to their re-imaginations within contemporary architectural discourse. By interrogating their formal, functional, and symbolic dimensions, my study seeks to illuminate pathways for integrating historically grounded, culturally resonant, and environmentally responsive strategies into modern architectural design.