H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed honours winners of the Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award 2011

Under the royal patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, UAE; and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; winners of The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award 2011 were recognized and rewarded for their artistic achievements at a Gala Awarding Ceremony held last night.

The awarding ceremony was attended by VIP guests comprising of Mrs. Mona Al Marri Chairperson of the board of DWE, representatives from the Judges Panel, Board Members from Dubai Women Establishment, distinguished members of the local and international art community and members of the media.

On the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “Since its inception six years ago, The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award has continually grown and built upon each year’s success, making it the most prestigious and coveted art competition for emerging artists in the visual arts field today.”

He added, “Guided by our wise leadership, the UAE has always been in the forefront of support for art and culture, motivated by the firm belief that culture, arts and heritage are vital to the success of our country’s expanding economy because they are the key building blocks of civil life and public dialogue. The significant growth in terms of the number and calibre of artworks received each year further solidifies the UAE’s position in this regard. I wish all the winners and participants all the best in their future creative endeavours. It is my pleasure and privilege to play a role in keeping the arts alive for generations to come.”

In line with the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this initiative was first launched in 2006, as an annual visual art competition which aims to encourage, recognize and promote emerging artists from the UAE. The award is popular amongst university students majoring in Art, Design and Multimedia.

During her opening speech on the evening, Muna Bin Kalli, Executive Director of the Dubai Ladies Club commented on the growth of the Award; “The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award is a celebration of creativity, talent, courage and vision. And the vision lies with the Patron & Founder of this unique Award, Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who has not only been a devoted Patron to the Arts and a gifted artist herself; but strongly believes that no artist gets very far without encouragement.”

She added, “Since its inception six years ago, The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award has greatly contributed to advancing the art scene in the UAE and leading young artistic talent towards greater excellence and innovation. The philosophy behind this initiative is to recognize the creative and pioneering thinking that resides within the UAE. The arts have proven to enhance a person’s ability to appreciate a world steeped in diversity. And we believe that such art initiatives are essential for building innovative thinkers who will be the worlds’ leaders tomorrow. We are proud to be a part of this process.”

Winners of H.H Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award 2011:

Last night, ten awards, including the People’s Choice Award, were presented by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in three categories – ‘Fine Art Award’; ‘Photography Award’ and ‘Multimedia Award’. Each category winner, runner up and second runner up received a cash prize worth AED30,000, AED20,000 and AED10,000 respectively.

The winners were selected by a distinguished judge’s panel comprised of prominent figures from organizations and institutions within UAE who are playing a critical role in the encouragement and promotion of art. They are prominent academics, art patrons and artists which includes H.H. Sheikha Hoor Al-Qassimi, Founder and President of the Sharjah Art Foundation; Rami Farook, Director & Curator of Traffic Gallery; Hala Khayat, Specialist - Christie’s; Patricia Millns, Artist.

Rami Farook, Director & Curator of Traffic Gallery and the Jury spokesperson said, “The shortlisted art works underwent a thorough scrutiny and the results are incredible and are a testimony to the success of the Award, the cultural landscape of UAE and all the educational institutions who offer the related programs.”

He adds, “The jury is unanimous in stating that the winning works are of extremely high calibre and can be represented at any level by an international gallery. The winning works have truly raised the bar of the Award and henceforth we are happy to note that we shall be witnessing a dramatic increase in the quality of the submissions.”

The judges collectively noted that the works presented were versatile in content and style, and were impressed by the innovative and unconventional use of different mediums and high standard of artistic technique evident in the shortlisted artworks.