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V&A donor’s £25,000 prize for Islamic art
Louise Jury26 Jan 2009
An award with a cheque as big as the Turner Prize was announced today for contemporary artists influenced by Islamic craft and design.
The £25,000 Jameel Prize was unveiled by the Victoria and Albert Museum and is being funded by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, a Saudi Arabian businessman whose British interests include the Hartwell car and hotel businesses. He previously gave £5.4 million towards the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the V&A.
Mark Jones, the museum's director, said the prize would build on the success of the new gallery in helping people to “appreciate one of the world's great cultures and spread a deeper understanding of Islamic art”.
Patron Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born London-based architect, said she supported the prize's aims of exploring the dialogue between contemporary and Islamic art. Ms Hadid: “I have always been fascinated by the logic of mathematics within the Islamic art traditions.
“I hope the Jameel Prize will inspire a new generation of artists, designers and engineers to further this dialogue.”
A panel has whittled down 100 nominations from all over the world to a shortlist of nine artists and designers whose work ranges from jewellery to photomontage.
It includes one British contender: Hassan Hajjaj, 47, who lives and works in London and Morocco.
Mr Hajjaj launched his store in Covent Garden in 1984 producing clothes influenced by his Moroccan roots. His art has been shown in exhibitions at venues including the Leighton House Museum, the Hayward and the V&A itself.
The first winner of the prize will be announced on 7 July and an exhibition of all the shortlisted artists' work will go on display at the V&A the next day until 13 September. The prize will be awarded every two years.
Reader views (3)
As one of the world's great museums of decorative art, how fitting that the V&A should be able to host this prize. We all need to take advantage of all opportunities to understand the full breadth of Islamic culture.
- David, Sherborne, Dorset, 26/01/2009 17:25
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If that is art ,then my name is Ganges Khan!! In the hard times(credit crunch)like these V&A has money to throw away?God help us and this country, from these PC brigade and loonies .
- Surk, london, 26/01/2009 15:53
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Classic Islamic art is beautiful and incredibly intricate.
- Bob, Cheam, 26/01/2009 12:58
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