DUBAI: Emirati artist Nabla Yahya has been awarded the Richard Mille Art Prize in a ceremony at the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Yahya was one of eight artists shortlisted to showcase her work, “SoftBank,” in the Louvre Abu Dhabi “Art Here” 2023 exhibition, which opened to the public in November. The artist nabbed a prize of $60,000 at the ceremony.
Nabla Yahya with her award. (Supplied)
Abu Dhabi-born Nabla Yahya is a multidisciplinary artist who interrogates histories that have been censored, erased, or neglected by systems of power. In “SoftBank,” Yahya uses a three-dimensional cartographic representation of the Suez Canal to highlight the neglected details and interrogate the obscure histories around the initial construction of the canal (1859-1869).
Yahya was selected by a six-member jury, including Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan; Dr. Souraya Noujaim, director of the Islamic Arts department at Musée du Louvre in France; Maya El-Khalil, independent curator and art advisor, former Founding director of Athr Gallery in Jeddah, and curator of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2023; Clare Lilley, director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the selector of the annual Frieze Sculpture in London’s Regent’s Park 2012- 22; Dr. Guilhem André, acting director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at the Louvre Abu Dhabi; and Mohammed Kazem, an Emirati artist previously shortlisted for the 2021 edition of Art Here.
In a released statement, Yayha said: “I am deeply honored to receive the 2023 Richard Mille Art Prize. This recognition is a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and illuminate hidden histories. ‘SoftBank’ is not just an installation; it’s a dialogue between the past and the present, a reflection on the Suez Canal’s transformation. This award fuels my commitment to exploring untold stories and challenging perspectives through my work.”
