The winner of the first-ever Bvlgari Contemporary Art Award was announced today at a ceremony held at the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. In the first round of the competition, 15 artists participated in an exhibition held in DIFC last week, after which three were chosen to compete in the final round: Emirati artist Juma AlHaj, Dubai-based Jordanian artist Kamal Alzubi, and Dubai-based Iranian-American artist Nima Nabavi. Nabavi was awarded the first prize, receiving a trophy that celebrates the crossover between Italian and Emirati aesthetics and culture, featuring materials with great cultural significance to the Emirates like rich woods of the UAE’s national tree, Al Ghaf, and native mother-of-pearl.
As part of the prize, Nabavi will also travel to Rome, where he will spend a week attending workshops, touring historical and cultural sites, and immersing himself in the Bvlgari universe, courtesy of the Italian brand, to contribute to his growth as an artist. The self-taught artist was raised in the UAE and is represented by The Third Line. His art practice is driven by a mathematical approach and a contemplative execution of intricate geometries. He explained that his work mirrored Italy Pavilion’s theme of ‘Beauty Connects People,’ and he “wanted to show a mixture of colors and connections through intersecting lines as well as to create a lot of complexity and depth that would draw people here and grant them a feeling of peace, harmony, and completion through connection.”
From the Savoir Flair website.
