Art Jameel increases visibility in Istanbul's art circle

Aimed at fostering and promoting contemporary art across the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey), Community Jameel's initiative Art Jameel has announced that the international V&A Jameel Prize will be launched this year in Istanbul. The winner, who will receive the 25,000-pound prize, will be announced at the Pera Museum on June 7. The work of shortlisted candidates will be displayed at the Pera Museum from June 8 to Aug. 14. The Istanbul leg of the Art Jameel Prize is a first-ever organization at an external venue. From now on, the exhibition will rotate among guest venues around the world.

A biennial 25,000-pound international award given to artists inspired by the Islamic traditions of art, craft and design, the organization is under the collaboration of Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Art Jameel. David Chalmers Alesworth, Rasheed Araeen, Lara Assouad, CANAN, Cevdet Erek, Sahand Hesamiyan, Lucia Koch, Ghulam Mohammad, Shahpour Pouyan, Wael Shawky and Bahia Shehab are the artists shortlisted for this year's contest.

Fady Jameel, president of Community Jameel International, said, "Our aim with the Jameel Prize is to encourage artists and designers around the world to explore the great heritage of Islamic art, craft and design, and to provide a forum for celebrating creative achievements inspired by Islamic tradition. Two leading Turkish artists, CANAN and Cevdet Erek, are among the candidates this year, and by launching the prize in Istanbul we are further enhancing the visibility of the prize in a country that hosts some of the most significant achievements in Islamic art and design anywhere in the world. I hope more and more artists will be inspired to explore this rich heritage."

The winner of the first Jameel Prize was Afruz Amighi for her work "1001 Pages" (2008), an intricate hand-cut screen made from the woven plastic used to construct refugee tents. In 2011 Rachid Koraichi was awarded the prize for his work "Les Maitres Invisibles" (The Invisible Masters, (2008), a group of embroidered cloth banners which display Arabic calligraphy and symbols and ciphers to explore the lives and legacies of the 14 great mystics of Islam. In 2013, Jameel Prize 3 was awarded to Dice Kayek, a Turkish fashion label established in 1992 by Ece and Ayşe Ege for "Istanbul Contrast," a collection that evokes Istanbul's architectural and artistic heritage. Ece and Ayşe Ege are on the jury of Jameel Prize 4.