Rachid Koraïchi the 64 year old Algerian artist has been named this year’s winner of the Jameel prize for his work ‘Les Maitres invisibles’ (The Invisible Masters). The series of banner works created in 2008 are a homage to the 14 great Islam mystics. Koraïchi was born into an ancient Sufi family, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and works with varying medias including installation, painting, printmaking, ceramics and textiles. Koraïchi’s banner series comprise large panels inscribed with calligraphy and symbols from various cultures. The chair of the jury stated at the presentation, “Rachid’s work stood out because his banners have a universal appeal. They work in the white space of a contemporary art gallery, but they also hold their own in historical settings – from Parisian palaces to simple Sufi shrines.”

 

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