ALJCI and V&A announce winner of Jameel Prize

Fadi Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI) International, announced the winner of the 3rd Jameel Prize at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London during a ceremony attended by Islamic and Arabic art experts.
Awarded every two years, the £25,000 international art prize was won by two sisters, Ece and Ayse Ege, founders of the Dice Kayek fashion brand, famous in Turkey.
The sisters entered three pieces from their ‘Istanbul Contrast’ (2010) a 19-piece collection inspired by Islamic architecture, art and craft heritage and Istanbul’s religious and cultural diversity into the award competition.
Dice Kayek’s fashion mission, since its creation in 1992, has been to symbolize Turkish origins, bridging the East and the West, tradition and modernity. The designs are luxurious yet simple. All of the dresses in the collection reflect a modern abstract vision inspired by heritage, expressed in lines, patterns and folds.
Ten artists and designers were shortlisted for this year’s 25,000 pounds prize, namely Faig Ahmed, Nada Debs, Mounir Fatmi, Rahul Jain, Dice Kayek, Waqas Khan, Laurent Mareschal, Nasser Al Salem, Florie Salnot and Pascal Zoghbi.
Commenting on the award ceremony, Fadi Jameel, president of ALJCI International said: "The purpose of the Jameel Prize is to encourage artists from all over the world to discover the roots of Islam and to express it through various forms of traditional and modern arts. Creativity has no limits, and we are seeking to support and encourage creative talent to make sure our Islamic culture, traditions and civilization stays alive."
Almost 270 nominations were entered into the Third Jameel Prize competition from countries as diverse as Algeria, Brazil, Kosovo, Norway and Russia.