World Art Dubai 2016 shines light on emerging talents

• Art fair presents emerging artists work
• Emirati and international artists recognised among 1,600 contestants to win International Emerging Artist Award 

Dubai, United Arab Emirate - 7 April 2016: The widely-acclaimed International Emerging Artist Award and Emerging Emirati Artist Award winners were announced at the opening day of World Art Dubai (6 April) to an audience of art lovers, academics, prominent curators, artists, and scientists gathered at the affordable art fair.

The artwork of eight international winners and six Emirati laureates, chosen by the Award committee from a pool of 1,600 artists, will be on display at World Art Dubai, hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre until April 9.

The Emirati winners are Eman Elsha Shemi, Amira Alawadhi, Ameena Aljarman, Nooran Al Bannay, Mariam Abbas, and Sara Al Suwaidi, while the successful international artists are Nasser Palangi, Iran/Australia; Tanya Welz, Italy; John Franzen, Netherlands; Alberto Echegaray Guevara, Argentina; Manfred Kielnohfer, Austria; Hazem Mahdy, Egypt/UAE; Meshal Al-Obaidallah, Saudi Arabia; Noor Naqaweh, Syria/Canada.

IEAA laureates were awarded in seven art categories, ranging from painting and mix media, illustration and drawing, sculpture, photography and installation to wearable and new media artwork. Contributing to the international scope of World Art Dubai, this year’s Award edition saw eight international artists from across five continents and six Emiratis awarded.

Describing his winning, experimental mix-media sculpture, Eman Elsha Shemi from Dubai said: “My artwork encompasses a wide range of mediums, processes, and techniques. I focus mainly on experimental printmaking, papermaking, drawing, casting and manipulating materials to produce traditional prints and three dimensional forms.

“My work explores the vulnerable and unpredictable nature of things, the contrast between boldness and fragility, order and disorder, predictability and chaos.”

Rebia Naim, Director at the International Emerging Artist Award, believes that the partnership between the Award and World Art Dubai provides young and emerging artists with a unique opportunity for exposure and networking with prominent galleries as well as dedicated art collectors.

“The International Emerging Artist Award has been running as a successful independent art show for the past 4 years. While Dubai’s art scene was expanding, we started searching for the right platform to host the award event,” she said.

“While the mission of the award is to promote new Emirati and international artists, World Art Dubai with its goal to promote new talents provides the perfect exposure and a recognition platform.”

The International Emerging Artists Award (IEAA) is Dubai’s first and only contemporary art award dedicated to emerging artists and has been created with the vision to provide global recognition and outstanding career opportunities to its laureates. With the Emerging Emirati Artist Award, the award’s mission it to bring to put a spotlight on Emirati artists and help them develop career both in the UAE as well as on the international scale.

Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC, said: “Since its inception, World Art Dubai acts a forum enabling emerging talent to reach out to the art community and this year we have partnered up with the International Emerging Artist Award as the Official Award Partner.

“Our aim with World Art Dubai is promote local and international artists and offer them an opportunity to present their work to the fair’s cosmopolitan public.”

From Australia to Japan, Germany to France and India to Singapore, World Art Dubai lives up to its name by providing a combination of international artists, Emiratis  and those from around the Middle East, the opportunity to present their work to Dubai’s cosmopolitan public.  Art work available throughout the fair will range from US$100 to US$10,000.

World Art Dubai 2016 is supported by Dubai Culture and is part of the Dubai Art Season.  Hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre, entry to the fair is AED15 for a daily pass and tickets can be purchased onsite during the fair at the welcome desks.  Children of 16 years and under are admitted free of charge, upon showing a student ID.