The Jameel Prize is an international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. Its aim is to explore the relationship between Islamic traditions of art, craft and design and contemporary work as part of a wider debate about Islamic culture and its role today.
RACHID KORAÏCHI - WINNER OF THE JAMEEL PRIZE 2011
'The Invisible Masters', Rachid Koraichi, 2008. Courtesy of October Gallery, photo by Jonathan Greet
Algerian born Rachid Koraïchi was announced as the winner of the Jameel Prize 2011 for a selection of embroidered cloth banners from a series entitled Les Maitres invisibles (The Invisible Masters), 2008.
Koraichi uses Arabic calligraphy, and symbols and ciphers from a range of other languages and cultures to explore the lives and legacies of the 14 great mystics of Islam. The work aims to show that the world of Islam, in contrast to contemporary perceptions of crisis and violence, has another side entirely. Koraïchi cites great Muslim thinkers and poets like Rumi and El Arabi to show the sophistication and tolerance of Islamic ideology and how relevant it is today. These 'masters', whose fame has spread even to the West, have left an imprint on successive generations and their message is just as relevant today as when first written down.
September 14, 2011
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