Fine art is main pillar of Sharjah, and serves to empower women

Seven female artists have been presented with top honours at the Noon Arts Awards ceremony at Collage Talent Centre, an affiliate of the Sharjah Ladies Club, in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.

Themed ‘Huwiyyati - My Identity’, the Noon Arts Awards are organised by SLC with the aim of recognising and honouring talented women and girls in the fields of painting and photography.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher said, "Art is a humanitarian language that allows people to share ideas, dreams and visions. It is a bridge to many cultures and one which we can all appreciate in its many forms."

Highlighting the presence and active role of female artists in the UAE’s history of creativity, Sheikha Jawaher said, "Giving attention and care to women’s experiences in fine arts is one of the pillars of the foundation laid down by Sharjah and it's also serves to empower women and help them to succeed in so many aspects of their lives, whether that is their role in an artistic community, a business capacity or a progressive society.

"The UAE has witnessed impressive growth in the quality of art production and participation in local and Arab exhibitions and with continued support, it will add to its achievements."

Sheikha Jawaher praised the artistic value of the paintings and pieces of art created by women as well as the immense natural talent reflected in their entries. She underlined the importance of these awards and exhibitions in discovering fresh artistic abilities, which can add richly to the local and Arab art movement with support and encouragement.

Her Highness presented the awards to Aisha Khalifa Al Hosani, who won the ‘Noon Artist Award – Photography’, Alaa Mohammed Ahmed Amin, who won first place in the ‘Noon Rising Star Award – Photography’, Biryanaka Vigian, who won the ‘Noon Artist Award – Painting’, and Sham Bassam Al Mulla winner of the ‘Noon Rising Star Award – Painting’. Other winners were Badriya Hussein Abdullah Al Hammadi, who won first place in the ‘Various Arts Award’, with Doaa Samir Mansour Farajallah coming second, and the youngest entrant at just seven years old, Diana Sabah, who won the ‘Little Picasso Award’.

Khawla Al Serkal, Director-General of SLC, said, "Sharjah is widely known as a beacon of science, culture and art. It has always emphasised art as one of the most important gauges of human development and regards it as one of the key criteria to measure human civilisation and the progress of nations."

She added, "Our belief in the importance of art has led us to organise the Noon Arts Awards under the theme ‘Huwiyyati - My Identity’, so that we can encourage artists to explore the questions dealing with the concept of identity and individual existence. It also aims to demonstrate the prominent role society plays in shaping their personalities, their priorities and their lives as artists."

Sheikha Al Suwaidi, Manager of Collage Talent Centre, said, "Choosing ‘My Identity’ as the theme for the Noon Arts Awards is in alignment with the vision and goals of the Collage Talent Centre to fully develop creativity in female artists. Through this award, we aim to provide the tools, confidence and belief to support them and reach their true potential."

Al Suwaidi said that the works of art that won the exhibition’s awards were selected according to a series of strict criteria. "In the first phase, the artworks were judged on their conformity to the topic of the exhibition, based on explanation and interpretation. In the second phase, the jury addressed artistic techniques and creative effort. As a result, 63 artworks were selected from 292 submissions, seven of which won first prizes," she said.