A showcase of winning entries from a competition recently organised by the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) has opened in the museum’s Education Centre, coinciding with its special exhibition Marvellous Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic Art.

The competition entitled Art in the Making invited students aged 16-25 to submit artworks from September 2014 – January 2015. A total of 66 entries were received, among them 19 from overseas. Artworks submitted included illustrations, paintings, and mixed media inspired by animal fables, specifically those from well-known and beloved classics such as Kalila wa Dimna and One Thousand and One Nights.

A judging panel that included Dr Sabrina Puppin, MIA Head of Art Education and Art Programs and Dr Leslee Michelsen, MIA Head of Curatorial and Research, carefully selected ten winners to put on show (eight of which are from Qatar). The winning entries were chosen for their artistry, imagination and narrative skill.

In addition to being displayed in the showcase running until 1 June, the winning artworks are also featured in a special commemorative book. Featuring 30 colourful images, and delightful artist statements, the books were awarded to the winners at a special event that took place at the MIA Education Centre on Thursday, 30April.

Commenting on the competition, Aisha Al Khater, Director of MIA said,

“It is a great pleasure to present the winning entries of the Marvellous Creatures Art Competition, produced by a group of truly talented students. Each of them expressed an artistic understanding and appreciation of these great fables of the past, and brought them to life in their own creative ways. These new illustrations provide fresh insight into these timeless tales, and we hope both this competition and the exhibition itself will continue to inspire young artists to draw on these stories and give them a fresh meaning”.

The Art in the Making competition forms part of a larger calendar of educational events that MIA has on offer for everyone to enjoy this summer, reinforcing MIA’s focus on art, and heritage, and its commitment to nurturing emerging talent and fostering an indigenous culture of creativity and innovation. Educational activities on offer this summer include talks and tours, family activities, library programmes, activities for schools, calligraphy workshops and art workshops. Together, these form part of MIA’s continued efforts in providing dynamic exhibition activities that appeal to diverse communities.

Marvellous Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic Art was launched at MIA back in March and will run until 11 July.

Visit qm.org.qa/education to find out more.

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