Zayed honoured through art, poetry, music competition
CREATIVE CONTEST WINNERS PAY RICH TRIBUTES TO UAE’S FOUNDING FATHER
The winners of the Art of Zayed competition were announced yesterday at an award ceremony at the Emirates Towers Youth Hub.
The competition, launched earlier this year, aimed to commemorate the achievements of the inspirational Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, by honouring his legacy and vision for prosperity, tolerance, and peace through art, music, and poetry.
The competition was organised by PepsiCo in partnership with Emirates Foundation, the national organisation set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of UAE youth.
The works of the 10 finalists were showcased at the award ceremony before the winners were selected under the three categories — art, music and poetry.
Works of inspiration
Bwader Al Hassan from Sudan was the winner in the art category for her submission titled ‘Second Life of Oysters’. The piece was a map of the UAE formed using oyster shells glued together on a canvas. Meanwhile, Khalifa Al Rumaithi of the UAE won the music category award for his song Wallah Ma Troh, expressing ■ admiration
Zayed.
The third category winner was Nidhi Jhaveri from India, selected for her poem The Ruler of Our Hearts.
All three winners received a cash prize of Dh10,000, and will have their winning submissions promoted by PepsiCo, Emirates Foundation and the competition partners. The Fujairah Fine Arts Academy will also showcase Al Hassan’s winning artwork, while the Dukkan Show will feature Jhaveri’s poem, and Anghami will feature Al Rumaithi’s song. for Shaikh
Al Hassan said she was inspired to use oyster shells in her piece after seeing a restaurant buffet. “I am a big believer in recycling and saving the environment, and I often use recycled materials in my art work and furniture design, so I can give such materials a second life,” she told Gulf News.
Al Rumaithi from Abu Dhabi, 30, songwriter and rapper, said he made his song and video in 2012 as a tribute to his idol, Shaikh Zayed. “Through my rap, I’m simply trying to find the right words to express my feelings to a person I have a lot of gratitude for and also attempting to give back what he has given me,” he said.
Describing Shaikh Zayed as a “humble and peaceful” leader, Al Rumaithi called him a president who deeply cared about the people in his land.
Meanwhile, Jhaveri, 21, said she was inspired by Shaikh Zayed’s ability to achieve his vision. “I was born in the UAE and have lived here since. Shaikh Zayed has been my inspiration. He transformed the desert into green land, and has empowered everyone, especially women,” she said.