Riyadh, 23 January, 2010 - Under the patronage of the Ministry of Information and Culture and in cooperation with Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs (ALJCSP), Jameel Prize Tour will start today in the National Museum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (23 – 31 January 2010). Organized by Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), the first stop of the winning artworks of Jameel Prize exhibition will be in Riyadh, and then the exhibition will tour other venues in the Middle East and South Africa, including Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Morocco. Launched by the V&A’s Jameel Gallery in 2009, Jameel Prize is the first award of this kind to be made for contemporary work inspired by Islamic traditions of art, craft and design. The Prize aims to raise awareness of the thriving interaction between contemporary practice and the rich artistic heritage of Islam, and to contribute to a broader debate about Islamic culture. 

The Jameel Prize is awarded every two years. Entry is by nomination, and the Prize is open to artists and designers of any nationality and creed. Over 100 nominations were made for the first Prize in 2009, and the names put forward came from countries as diverse as the USA, Germany, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and China.

Nine artists and designers were short-listed for the 2009 Jameel Prize, and on 7 July 2009 the judges selected New York-based Iranian-born artist Afruz Amighi as the winner. To mark the award, the V&A presented an exhibition of work by the nine finalists (8 July – 13 September 2009). It is this exhibition that will now tour.

Mr. Fadi Mohammed Jameel, President of ALJCSP International announced that Jameel Prize Tour comes in line with ALJCSP International’s vision to introduce contemporary artworks inspired by Islamic traditions of art, craft and design. Fadi Jameel added that the Prize was also launched in line with the initiative to support gifted artists and designers throughout the world.