Jameel Prize - Istanbul Tour

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.

The Jameel Prize is an initiative of Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, who also funded the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the V&A. The Jameel Prize and its exhibition at the V&A in London are supported by the Jameel Foundation, and the tour of the Jameel Prize exhibition is supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Community Service Programs.

The Jameel Prize is held every two years. The winner of the first Prize was announced in July 2009, and the winner of the second will be announced in March 2011.

The prize is truly international. It is not restricted to entrants who are Muslim or from the Islamic world but is open to artists and designers of any nationality, any creed and any age.

Entry for the Jameel Prize is by nomination. Nominations for the Jameel Prize were invited from a wide range of specialists with a knowledge of contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. The names of more than 100 artists and designers were put forward in this way. Submissions came from countries as diverse as the USA, Germany, Iran, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and China.

The nominated artists and designers were all invited to submit an application based on work produced in the previous five years. More than 100 artists and designers did so. An independent panel of judges then met to short-list the best submissions.

The artists and designers short-listed for the Jameel Prize are invited to show examples of their work in a special exhibition at the V&A. These are either the work for which they were short-listed or from the same series. The judges then view the exhibition, and select a winner. The Prize of £25,000 is awarded to the winner during the prize-giving ceremony.

This first Jameel Prize exhibition in 2009, showing works by the winner and the other eight finalists, was shown at the V&A from 8 July to 13 September 2009. Subsequently, the exhibition has been on an international tour, travelling to venues in the Middle East and North Africa. For the Jameel Prize 2011 and future years, the exhibition will also tour to other regions.