Rachid Koraichi, who now lives and works between Tunisia and France, won for his submission that came in the form of a series of banners, called “Les Maitres Invisible” (The Invisible Masters).
Threaded in black on white canvas, Koraichi’s work now hangs off the high ceiling of the Jameel Gallery.
They are inscribed with symbols, such as the hand of Fatima and figures representing whirling dervishes, alongside meditative phrases in the Arabic language, aiming to portray the tolerant aspects of Islam at a time when violence and crisis have superseded perceptions of the religion.
Inspired by his own Sufi family background, Koraichi often uses Arabic calligraphy and symbols and ciphers from a range of other languages and cultures to explore the mystical side of Islam.
His works are part of permanent collections of the British Museum in London; the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha; the National Museum for African Art in Washington, among others.
In their statement, the judges noted that Koraichi’s work matched the aims of the Jameel Prize through its qualities of design and reliance on traditional craft.
Koraichi furthered this point in his humble statement of thanks. “Artists today are the basis on which the artists of the future will build.”
His comments reflected on today’s political environment in the Arab and Islamic worlds, saying that today’s artists have a role to re-imagine futures. But his humility was most apparent in his statement that all artists nominated in this year’s Jameel Prize were worthy and talented individuals with a lot to say, adding that he had nothing that outshined them. Salma Tuqan, curator of contemporary Middle Eastern art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, reiterated her own, as well as all the short listed artists’, happiness at the end result.
The Jameel Prize was established in 2009, and in only its second run has attracted enough attention to merit it as a global program.
Held at London’s prestigious V & A museum and spearheaded by the Saudi Arabia-based Abdulatif Jameel Group Community Initiative, the prize has attracted artists, judges and consecutive hosts for the traveling exhibition and parallel educational events from cities across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Hasan Abdulatif Jameel, who was in London for the event from Saudi Arabia, announced the winner.
In his introduction, he restated the prize’s focus “on raising awareness about contemporary artistic practice and the richness of Islamic cultural heritage.”
This year the Jameel Prize attracted more than double the artists that it did in its first year, representing, he added, a “diversity of Islamic inspired works.”
“This prize is critical for the future development of current generations,” Jameel adds.
Ed Vaizey, UK’s minister of culture, communication and creative industry, commented on his hopes for the prize’s future, seeing it as potentially comparable to Britain’s Turner Prize for contemporary art.
