The 16th Al Burda Award has been given to 30 winners over six categories at this year’s Al Burda Festival.
Held at Expo 2020 Dubai, the biennial festival, which celebrates Islamic arts and culture, returns after being postponed last year owing to the pandemic.
Launched in 2004, Al Burda Award was created to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed and to function as a global platform for Islamic arts. Since its creation, the award has recognised 300 artists for their talents and work.
This year a total of 30 people were selected in six section and received awards which was a very significant contribution of Iranian artists.
In the field of classical calligraphy Maryam Nourozi Halilani and Ahmad Ali Nezami Reihanlou stood in the second and fourth ranks but in the feild of Modern calligraphy or calligraphy the first prize went to Iran.
Mahsa Javad Davachi in this feild took first place and attended the Expo 2020 in Dubai and received her award from the directors of the Al-Barda Festival and the Minister of Culture of the UAE.
Babak Mohammad Ali Hejazi and Masoud Mohebifar also took the third and fourth rank of calligraphy.In the field of gilding, in addition to the first prize, other awards went to Iranian artists and Masoumeh Ahmadmoradi, Afsaneh Khademolreza Mahdavi, Asghar Ahmadmoradi and Zeinab Ebrahimshahi stood in the second to fifth ranks of gilding, respectively.
In the feild of typogeraphy Reza Babajani and Bita Amel are among the chosen ones without ranking.
The winners – split into the categories of classical poetry, Nabati poetry, modern calligraphy, ornamentation and typography –received cash prizes starting from Dh10,000 and going up to Dh70,000. The talents were chosen from submissions through an open call held over the summer.
Taking place between Sunday and Tuesday at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, South Hall, in Expo 2020 Dubai, Al Burda Festival also includes a diverse programming of art exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, screenings and live performances exploring the theme of Transcending Spaces, Discovering the World.