The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2025 has been awarded to emerging artist and designer Hannan Arshad, whose project Safekeeping Stories (2025) explores the intersection of cultural heritage, architectural history and artistic expression.
The award, now in its thirteenth year, is organised by NYU Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), under the patronage of Her highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan.
Arshad is an UAE-based Indian artist with a background in graphic design, and her installation revives fading traditions through craftsmanship and research-driven art. Working with the guidance of Dr Christianna Bonin, Assistant Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), Arshad brings together historical enquiry, material experimentation and visual storytelling in compelling ways.
Safekeeping Stories is a participatory artwork designed to safeguard Mughal-era knowledge through artistic reconstruction. Inspired by her academic research during her final year at AUS and informed by visits to cultural sites such as the Raza Library in Rampur and Bada Imambara in Lucknow, the project reinterprets techniques of ancient brickwork and miniature painting. Using hand-crafted Lakhori bricks, some of which incorporate edible components, each piece becomes both a sculptural form and a vessel for storytelling. Assembled to resemble a library, the installation invites audiences to interact with the bricks as though they were books, physically engaging with cultural narratives.
“Under the generous patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, and through ADMAF’s partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award continues to celebrate the artist’s legacy by honouring winners in the creative industries, supporting innovation in the fields of fine arts, sculpture and public art,” said Her Excellency Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF.
Since its inception in 2013, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award has supported young creatives across the UAE, offering a professional platform for showcasing ambitious ideas in public art, installation and sculpture.
