Eleven Saudi artists and calligraphers were awarded consolation prizes in the National Art and Calligraphy Gallery competition, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The panel of jury withheld the three top prizes because none of the entries fulfilled all the required standards and criteria, said Muhammad Aabis, director of the media and publishing department at the ministry’s agency for cultural affairs. He said that a total of 119 men and women artists and calligraphers had presented their 339 works for the competition. Of those 49 had been chosen to display their 134 works in an exhibition called “National gallery in the eyes of the Kingdom’s artists and calligraphers.”
Aabis said that the exhibition was organized with the objective of promoting the spirit of patriotism and the nation’s development in addition to safeguarding its historical, cultural and heritage gains. It also aimed at encouraging Saudi artists and calligraphers by creating a healthy environment for competition and exchange of experiments among them.
Aabis said that the winners of consolation prizes would receive cash amounting to SR 5,000 each. The winners are the following: Nasser Al-Maymun, Ahmad Abu Sarir, Ibrahim Al-Zayer, Ibrahim Al-Arafi, Hassan Al-Ridhwan, Sami Al-Bar, Abdul Al-Shahri, Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, Muhammad Zaki, Saeed Lafi and Abdul Aziz Al-Baqshi.
Top three art prizes withheld
