News Desk
Pakistani miniature artist Shazia Sikander has bagged the prestigious Fukuoka Prize in the category of Arts and Culture.
The Fukuoka Prize Committee awarded the prestigious art prize to Shazia Sikander for her contributions to the innovation of miniature art, using digital technology in miniature painting.
Born in Lahore, Ms Sikander obtained a bachelor of fine arts in 1991 from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore.
She was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) by the Pakistan government in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of arts.
She currently resides in New York.
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.
The prize is awarded in three categories — Grand Prize, Academic Prize and Arts and Culture Prize.
Besides Ms 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 who have received the Prize, include Qawwali maestro 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. –Courtesy: Express Tribune