In 2006, Prince Charles inaugurated the Jameel Gallery in the London museum. Renovated through an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives, the V&A’s Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art is one of the most important galleries in V&A that displays several and diversified cultures of world civilizations. Since then, Jameel Gallery launched several programs, including scholarships, training courses and Jameel Prize, which was started in 2008.

Awarded every two years under the supervision of an international specialized panel, the winner of the first Jameel Prize was Afruz Amighi, born in Iran and living in New York, for her work "1001 Pages" (2008), an intricate hand-cut screen made from the woven plastic used to construct refugee tents. Works of winning artists made a global tour that included Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco and United Arab Emirates.

The V&A announced the shortlist of nominees for the Jameel Prize 2011 during the activities of Art Dubai. A panel of judges, chaired by V&A Director, Sir Mark Jones, selected the 10 artists and designers on the shortlist from almost 200 nominations received from countries as diverse as the United States, Spain, Nigeria, Egypt and Pakistan.

Those who made to the list are Noor Ali Chagani, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Bita Ghezelayagh, Babak Golkar, Hayv Kahraman, Aisha Khalid, Rachid Koraïchi, Hazem El Mestikawy, Hadieh Shafie and Soody Sharifi.

Mark Jones said: “The quality of the works shortlisted for this year’s Jameel Prize is outstanding. The output of the finalists is very varied, reflecting the richness and diversity of the Islamic traditions that inspired them. The works show how complex and eloquent the art and design inspired by this tradition has become.”

Fadi Jameel, president of ALJ Community Initiatives International, stated that the idea of Jameel Prize comes in line with ALJ Community Initiatives International to raise awareness about the contemporary artworks inspired from traditional Muslim arts and designs, and to support art talents throughout the world.

The work of the shortlisted artists and designers will be shown at the V&A from July 21 until Sept. 25 and draws strongly on the artists’ and designers’ own local and regional traditions, celebrating particular materials and iconography with strong references to traditional Islamic art. The works on show will range from felt costumes to sculpture made from hand-made terra-cotta bricks and from mirror mosaic to digital collages inspired by traditional Persian miniature paintings. In much of the work there is an underlying reference to the artists’ own "hybrid" cultural identity; the mix of old and new, minimalism versus ornament, tradition and modernity, and home versus exile.

The winner of The Jameel Prize 2011 will be announced at the V&A on Sept. 12, 2011. The Jameel Prize is a £25,000 international art prize for contemporary artists and designers inspired by Islamic traditions of craft and design.

The gallery is an outstanding presentation of the rich artistic heritage of the Islamic world, and the prize aims to raise awareness of the thriving interaction between contemporary practice and this great historical heritage. It has also contributed to a broader understanding of Islamic culture and its place in the world.