SMD successfully concludes Owen Jones photography competition

The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) have successfully concluded the Owen Jones Photography Competition, which was run in conjunction with ‘Owen Jones: Islamic design, Discovery and Vision’ exhibition featuring the works of the famous 19th century British artist, with an award ceremony to honour the winners on Sunday, 11 June.

During the award ceremony, SMD's Education and Interpretation Department presented prizes to the three winners who were selected from among the competition’s more than 50 participants.

The photography competition coincided with the opening of the Owen Jones exhibition at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization on 21 March, which will continue through15 July.More than 50 competitors from various nationalities submitted their photos of architecture inspired by the designs of Owen Jones.  

Numerous government institutions and universities participated in the event which contributed to highlighting the importance of Islamic design and architecture through the V&A’s vast collections and Owen Jones' exemplary art works and Islamic designs, giving participants the opportunity to gain a deep insight into Islamic art and civilization.

Among those who participated in the competition were students from the Higher College of Technology in Sharjah, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Girls Centres, as well as several of individuals and art lovers.

The submitted pictures, featuring buildings with Islamic architectural styles and decorations were inspired by the works of Owen Jones and the beauty of Islamic ornaments. The first place was taken by Mario Cárdenas, followed by Nour Kormus in the second place, and finally Saymah Shaberin third.

Aisha Deemas, Deputy Director of Executive Affairs at Sharjah Museums Department and Curator of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, opened the award ceremony with a welcome speech, and presented the prizes to the three winners. The speech was followed by a tour of the photo exhibition, which was organized by Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in collaboration with SMD's Interpretation and Education Department. The photo exhibition features the 15 winning photographs inspired by the works of Owen Jones.

SMD commented that the aim of organizing this competition was to raise public awareness about the importance of the Owen Jones exhibition and the rich contributions of the British artist to Islamic art and architecture. Through initiative such as this SMD is continuously working to increase community engagement in the SMD’s various initiatives. And this event constituted a major addition to Sharjah's rich record of landmark achievements in the cultural arena.