Pakistani miniature artist awarded Japan’s Fukuoka Prize

Shazia Sikander awarded for contributions in innovation of traditional art forms

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan-born miniature artist Shazia Sikander was awarded Japan’s Fukuoka Prize in the category of Arts and Culture, it was revealed in a statement on Thursday.

On May 26, the Fukuoka Prize Committee awarded Shazia Sikander for her contributions in innovation of traditional art forms namely, using digital technology in miniature painting - an art form traced back to the Mughal period.

The Fukuoka Prize was established in 1990 by the Japanese city of Fukuoka and the Fukuoka City International Foundation.

The prize is awarded to individuals, groups and organisations for their illustrious work in preserving Asian culture. The prize aims to increase awareness of the diversity of Asian cultures and to institute a broad framework for exchange and mutual learning amongst the people of Asia.

This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the inception of the Fukuoka Prize. Over the last 31 years, the prize has been presented to 118 leading figures in their respective fields.

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The prize is awarded in three categories that include Grand Prize, Academic Prize and Arts and Culture Prize. Besides Shazia Sikander, this year’s laureates include Japanese Taiko Drummer Hayashi Eitetsu for the Grand Prize and historian Professor Timon Screech from the United Kingdom for the Academic Prize.

In September 2022, the laureates will be invited to Fukuoka to officially receive their awards.

In the past, three Pakistanis have received the Fukuoka Prize, they include legendary Qawwali maestro the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Dr Uxi Mufti, a specialist in the preservation of folk heritage, and Yasmeen Lari, an architect, architectural historian, and heritage conservationist.

Born in Lahore, Shazia Sikander earned a degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1991 from the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore. She was awarded the 'Tamgha-e-Imtiaz' (Medal of Excellence) by the Pakistani government in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of arts. She currently resides in New York.