Jameel Prize 3 Exhibition 2015

NTU hosts international modern art exhibition inspired by centuries of Islamic heritage

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will be hosting a two-month long international art exhibition inspired by Islamic heritage and traditions which dates back to the mid-18th century.

 Making its first appearance in Asia, the prestigious Jameel Prize 3 art exhibition will showcase over 20 large-scale artworks from ten leading artists and designers around the world, which will speak different stories on Islamic heritage. It will also bridge the past with the modern, and show how a conservative religion such as Islam has a hidden contemporary face.

The art exhibits will be in a wide variety of forms. From textiles which transform historic Turkish architecture into fashion by France-based high fashion brand, Dice Kayek, modern typefaces engraved in concrete inspired by ancient Islamic calligraphy by Japanese designer Nada Debs, and even an intricately designed carpet made entirely out of spices by French visual artist Laurent Mareschal.

The various artworks displayed were also the winning entries in the prestigious Jameel Prize international art competition, organised and curated by the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million art pieces.

These winning entries were handpicked by a world-class panel of judges, which include Dame Zaha Hadid, recipient of the Pritzker Architecture award – a prize often described as the Nobel Prize of architecture, and Thomas Heatherwick, one of the world’s top architectural designers. Mr Heatherwick also designed NTU’s latest iconic building named ​The Hive​​​​​.​​​