March 6, 2013:
On the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 10th annual Abu Dhabi Festival, the region’s foremost cultural event, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) presented the ADMAF Creativity Award in a special ceremony attended by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research and H.E. Mrs. Hoda Ibrahim Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival and Dr Karim Al Solh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Capital.
This award was presented to Hamda Rubaya Khamis Busamah, a Zayed University Visual Arts undergraduate who used a powerful, site-specific sculpture to evoke memory and the senses in an exploration of the roles that girls perform within the family unit. The winner received AED 15,000; the runners-up AED 5,000 each, and the remaining 8 finalists certificates of recognition.
Presented in association with Chopard and Gulf Capital, the ADMAF Creativity Award was introduced in 2004 to support young national talent at Abu Dhabi’s public universities. The Award spotlights emerging talent among young UAE creatives and recognizes the commitment of public education institutions in nurturing their abilities and creative skills. For the 2013 edition, the Award received a record 32 imaginative entries from federal university students. Runners-up include UAE University student Yaser Al Neyadi for the film ‘Dreams of Rice’; and Maitha Demithan, also of Zayed University, for her photographic work ‘The 40 Day.’
H.E. Mrs. Hoda I. Al Khamis – Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, reflected on the initiative, saying: “As a platform for regional artists, we developed the ADMAF Creativity Award initiative to help shine a spotlight on emerging artists. In our efforts to instill a culture of art appreciation in the Emirates, it is essential we start by celebrating our own local talent.”
