Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission (VCA) has announced the winners of the second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award: Nather Abd Rab Alrasool Alsyf, Mohammed Al Jerabi, Abdullah Hussain Alshaikh, Zuhair Ahmad Altraifi and Amnah Ibrahim Alhaik.
The awardees, who will receive a cash prize and vouchers valued at SAR 40,000, were hand-picked by a panel of judges encompassing Ghada AlMuhanna, Hussain AlMoosawi, Mick Moore, Mohammed AlFaraj and Tanvi Mishra.
The winning artworks, which were selected from a pool of submissions to the annual competition held for the award and themed We Tell Stories this year, will be featured alongside the works of established photographers in the exhibition AlHasa Hassana at Hayy Jameel. Running from 11 February to 2 March, the show consists of a selection of photography works by Saudi Arabian artists and which narrate a diverse range of stories. The exhibition will be accompanied by activities such as panel discussions and hands-on workshops.
The works include Alshaikh’s I’m from this Land, shot at Al-Ahsa Oasis and which captures its farmers and 2.5 million date palms. In The Women from Al-Qatif, Alhaik surveys the urban landscape of Al-Qatif with a focus on the daily rituals of women. Ibrahim Almilad – Life in Colors by Alsyf is a portrait of a 65-year-old artist living on a small farm next to a graveyard. Al Jerabi’s Saudi Symphony, captured in Riyadh, meditates on themes of time and war. In Ain Al-Jawhariya (Al-Jawhariya Spring), Altraifi portrays the essence of the titular former underground spring in Al-Ahsa.
Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and the Visual Arts Commission to host Kingdom Photography at Hayy Jameel, and to have the opportunity to feature and work with such dynamic photographers and curators.”
Dina Amin, CEO of the VCA, said: “We are thrilled to unveil the remarkable narratives captured by the winners of the Kingdom Photography Award. These visual storytellers skillfully depict the essence of Saudi Arabia, with each series telling a unique tale.”
