The winning design interweaves some of the most important symbols of the UAE– including an oryx, a falcon, sand dunes and the sun. As a centerpiece, Badria has incorporated the iconic Qasr Al Hosn, an emblem of the power and heritage of the United Arab Emirates.
As part of her prize, Badria received a 50,000 AED grant to help further establish her jewelry design career. In addition, she received a 5-day trip to Paris to attend courses led by, among other teachers, master craftsmen in High Jewellery creation, at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.
Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, the visionary Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and the esteemed Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, expressed ADMAF’s pride in its collaboration with L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewellery Arts supported by renowned French jewellery Maison, Van Cleef and Arpels. This collaboration resonates with ADMAF’s dedication to fostering the career evolution of Emirati artists and designers.
Four years since its inception, the project’s focus on nurturing professional growth, celebrating artistic ingenuity, and cultivating a culture of excellence has solidified the scholarship’s role as a vital Emirati platform. This platform champions brilliance, innovation, and the advancement of the creative economy, especially within the domain of jewellery design. It particularly shines a light on the essence of traditional craftsmanship and the aesthetics inherent in the Emirates’ distinctive style – a trait evident in the continually subsidized creations year after year.
Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo
In her closing remarks, Her Excellency celebrated Emirati jewellery designer Badriya Ali Saif Salem, the triumphant recipient of this year’s scholarship, celebrating her work, ‘The Shining Necklace.’ The masterpiece intricately captures the UAE’s journey from its inception, depicting its evolution through empowerment to the renaissance that graces our present. Her Excellency enthusiastically noted, “We extend our warmest congratulations to Badriya Ali Saif Salem for her exceptional achievement. As she embarks on this journey, guided by her vision of success, we are thrilled to collaborate with her in transforming her dreams into reality. Under the banner of the ‘Abdar’ project, our collective mission is to empower the youth of the UAE through entrepreneurial initiatives and strategic investments.”
“Badria demonstrates exceptional potential in the field of jewelry design and rewarding her excellence and nurturing her understanding of jewelry design is one of the primary pillars of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewellery Arts. We strive to provide the guidance that is so essential to fostering talent and encourage young designers to reach for even greater heights in the realm of design,” said, Lise Macdonald, President of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.
About Badria Salim
Badria Ali Saif Salim is an emerging Emirati artist that specializes in jewellery design. She has obtained certifications from prestigious global institutes such as the International Gemmological Institution, Gemmological Institution of America, and the Belgium Gemmological Institution.
Badria’s love for jewellery and the art of jewellery making has been evident in Badria from a young age. Her love for this field continued to grow due to her parents’ unconditional support and encouragement and her late father who bestowed his knowledge about watchmaking and gemstones onto Badria; which further ignited her passion for the field. Badria is characterized by her artistic flair, remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication.
About the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation
Founded in 1996, ADMAF is one of the oldest cultural organisations in the Arabian Gulf. Pioneering new artistic practices, it seeks to deepen global cross-cultural dialogue and inspire a renewed interest in the creativity of the UAE and Arab world. Often in partnership with leading national and international institutions, it delivers multidisciplinary initiatives for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities through the Abu Dhabi Festival, year-round youth platforms and community programmes.
For more information, please visit www.admaf.org.
About L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Established in 2012 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts aims to introduce the public to all aspects of jewellery culture. It is an initiation school, open to everyone, with no special prerequisites: beginners as well as enlightened amateurs, collectors and those with a curiosity for the world of jewellery.
L’ÉCOLE offers courses in three major fields: the history of jewellery, the world of gemstones and the savoir-faire of jewellery-making techniques, taught by approximately sixty teachers, art historians, gemmologists, and artisans including jewellers. The classes are practice-based. The students experiment with gestures, skills and tools, guided by their teachers.
L’ÉCOLE also offers other activities: free and monthly live online conversations, book publishing, exhibitions – in Paris, in Hong Kong and abroad. Creative workshops were also created for children and teenagers. In 2023, L’ÉCOLE will extend its presence in Asia and in the Middle-East with the opening of two new campuses in Shanghai and Dubai, places of cultural effervescence and popular destinations for contemporary art lovers.
For more information, please visit www.lecolevancleefarpels.com.
