The UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth announced the formation of the juries for the 16th edition of Al Burda Award. The Award aims to preserve traditional Islamic arts, and promote the values Islamic culture and heritage to the world.
The jury members are: Salem Faisal Al Qassimi, Alanood Bukhamas, Wissam Shawkat, Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, Ardeshir Mojarad Takestani, Haya Al Ketbi, Mosaab Al Douri, Dr. Ahmed Mustafa, Mohammed Mandi, Majid Alyousef, Soraya Syed, Haji Noor Deen, Taj Alsir Hassan, Mohammad Allan, Obaida Al Banki, Uday Al Araji and Abdulrazzak Al Mahmoud.
Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: “We are pleased to announce the formation of the juries for the 16th edition of Al Burda Award. The juries includes experts and scholars in their fields who will be evaluating the works received for the Award competition in line with the essence of the initiative that was launched to celebrate the birth of the Prophet.”
She added: “Over the past 17 years, we have tried through Al Burda Award to highlight the innovations of Islamic art, and to present it to the world in a way that highlights its place and values among humanity. The award has ignited a movement in Islamic arts and added significantly to the global arts scene. We have also made the Award a platform for creative people to express themselves.”
Soraya Syed, a member of the Modern Calligraphy jury, said: “I am delighted to be a member of the jury for this year’s Al Burda Award. It is an important initiative because it encourages the development of traditional and modern calligraphy. The organizers of the Award are well aware of the role of both forms of calligraphy in the successful development of this art. It is great to see the inclusion of Arabic typography in its categories this time, which makes the award unique.”
Taj Alsir Hassan, a jurist in the Classical Calligraphy category, said: “Al Burda Award is a unique initiative, as it attracts the participation of many creative talents, poets, calligraphers and artists whose creativity would be tantamount to a museum if taken together. It is a great honor for me to be part of the jury of one of the highest and most important Arab and international artistic awards.”
Alanood Bukhammas, a member of the Arabic Typography jury, added: “The new Arabic Typography category in Al Burda Award represents a meeting point between Islamic artistic culture, which has a long history, and contemporary calligraphy design. It is interesting to see the possibilities of reinterpreting the rules of Islamic art in order to integrate them into the field of graphic design. Islamic arts are governed by principles such as finite precision and high craftsmanship, which are principles drawn from Islamic philosophy. These art forms are often based on carefully detailed mathematical parameters that inform their unique aesthetics.”
Mosaab Al Douri, a member of the Ornamentation jury, confirmed: “Al Burda Award is one of the most important international prizes in the field of Islamic art. These art forms have emerged from a brilliant civilization based on fine aesthetics and taste, pushing society to higher levels of cognitive and artistic development.”
The Ministry of Culture and Youth announced the opening of the registration period from May 17 to June 17, 2021, in the four main categories – Ornamentation, Classical and Modern Calligraphy, Nabati and Classical poetry and Arabic Typography.
The juries will convene in November to conduct a final evaluation of the participating artworks. All participants will be notified of the results of the award, which will be announced in parallel to the Al Burda Festival, which will be held in December, during Expo 2020 Dubai.
