An exhibition of Islamic-inspired work by artists and designers shortlisted for the prestigious Jameel Prize got under way yesterday in Sharjah, UAE.

The exhibition at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization was inaugurated by Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Chairman of Seaports and Customs Department of Sharjah. 

The opening was also attended by Dr Ibrahim Badawood, Managing Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI).

The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is the only venue in the Middle East to display the diverse works of the artists, who were shortlisted from a field of more than 270 nominations from around the world.

The Jameel Prize for art inspired by Islamic heritage is awarded by London’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in partnership with Art Jameel, one of the Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives.

The exhibition is curated by Tim Stanley, senior curator for the V&A’s Middle Eastern collection, and Salma Tuqan, the V&A’s curator of Middle Eastern Contemporary Art and Design, who were present at the opening. 

The diverse works of the 10 artists – ranging from Arabic typography to fashion inspired by the mosques of Istanbul, video installations and meditative drawings – were previously on display at the V&A.

“It gives me great pleasure to present this wonderful exhibition of contemporary works, which really captures the depth, spirit and diversity of the Jameel Prize,” said Stanley.

“In a sense, it is a homecoming for these works because Sharjah is truly a seat of Islamic art, and the pieces on display are rooted in that rich tradition.

“The Jameel Prize exhibition demonstrates the influence of Islamic techniques on today’s art and how a young generation of international artists and designers are embracing Islamic heritage as the foundation of their contemporary ideas.”

The panel of expert judges for the Jameel Prize was chaired by V&A Director Martin Roth.

The Jameel Prize 3 exhibition features more than 20 works and is a chance for visitors to see some of the best international contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition.

A series of specially commissioned short films on each of the artists and designers can be viewed online at www.vam.ac.uk/channel/search/jameel/

Manal Ataya, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), said: “It is an honour for us to be hosting this rich and varied exhibition, which showcases the resonance of Islamic heritage in contemporary art.”

The Jameel Prize, whose patron is award-winning architect Dame Zaha Hadid, was originally conceived after the renovation of the V&A’s Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art by Art Jameel, which opened in July 2006 to showcase the rich artistic heritage of the Islamic world.

The £25,000 prize aims to create a broader understanding of Islamic culture and its place in the world by demonstrating its influence on contemporary art.

The Jameel Prize 3 was won by Parisian fashion brand Dice Kayek for Istanbul Contrast, a collection of garments created in 2010 that evoke Istanbul’s architectural and artistic heritage. In the exhibition, the work of Dice Kayek’s founders, Ece and Ayşe Ege, is joined by that of nine shortlisted artists and designers – Faig Ahmed, Nasser Al Salem, Nada Debs, Mounir Fatmi, Rahul Jain, Waqas Khan, Laurent Mareschal, Florie Salnot and Pascal Zoghbi.

The SMD was established in 2006 by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. SMD manages more than 16 sites in the emirate, covering most types of art, Islamic culture, archaeology, heritage, sciences, aquaculture and the history of the emirate of Sharjah and the region.

The V&A is one of the world’s leading museums of art and design with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. It was established to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. 

Today, the V&A’s collections, which span over 2,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world, continue to intrigue, inspire and inform. 

The V&A has specialised in collecting Islamic art since the 1850s, and was the first institution in the world to collect Islamic art in a systematic fashion. The museum's mission was to reform design, and it was thought that Islamic ideas about structuring patterns and matching decoration to shape and function could improve British design. The Jameel Prize shows that the link between the Islamic art of the past and contemporary practice is still very much alive.

Art Jameel fosters and promotes contemporary art and creative entrepreneurship across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. 

In partnership with arts organisations worldwide, Art Jameel is developing two arts centres and cultural exchange programs to encourage networking and knowledge sharing. It is the founding partner of Edge of Arabia, The Crossway Foundation, Jeddah Art Week, and The Archive. 

In partnership with the V&A Museum, it awards the Jameel Prize for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic traditions. 

Additional projects include: Art Jameel Photography Award; Jeddah Sculpture Museum, a public park established in collaboration with Jeddah Municipality; Art Jameel Olympics, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia; and Art Jameel Program for Traditional Arts and Crafts in Fustat, Egypt, in collaboration with the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts.

ALJCI, whose chairman is businessman and noted philanthropist Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, was established in 2003 to promote social change through the establishment partnerships with international institutions, and the creation of initiatives in the fields of Job Creation – Bab Rizq Jameel; Global Poverty Alleviation; Arts and Culture – Art Jameel; Education and Training – Education Jameel; and Health and Social – Social Jameel.  

The exhibition will run until June 6.