KUWAIT CITY, Jan 28: The 31st Al-Qurain Cultural Festival opened its comprehensive Fine Arts Exhibition on Tuesday, featuring 51 works by 36 artists and announcing the winners of the Issa Saqr Creative Award.

Ten artists were awarded the prize during the opening ceremony, including Laila Al-Kandari, Fawaz Al-Duwaish, Fatouh Shamouh, Maryam Al-Mulla, Dr. Nasser Al-Rifai, Ali Al-Awad, Muhammad Al-Shaibani, Heba Al-Kandari, Abdulrahman Al-Hamoud, and Sarah Sher.

Assistant Secretary-General for Arts at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Musaed Al-Zamel, said the exhibition, running until next Saturday at the Museum of Modern Art, is a major event of the festival and serves as a meeting point for all artistic schools and generations, from pioneers to amateurs.

Al-Zamel highlighted that the exhibition coincides with Kuwait’s designation as Arab Capital of Culture and Media 2025 and praised featured artist Jassim Buhamad for his contributions to the country’s arts scene. He stressed the importance of supporting creativity, saying, “I know you have dreamed, and rest assured that dreams come true with determination, and we are with you.”

Wael Al-Jaber, Director of the Fine Arts Department at the Council, told KUNA that the exhibition is prominent for its historical and artistic value and for fostering interaction between different generations and artistic schools. He confirmed the department’s commitment to developing the exhibition’s organization and content to support Kuwait’s cultural and artistic growth.

Sarah Khalaf, Head of the Design and Art Direction Section at the Fine Arts Department, said the exhibition provides visual artists a platform to showcase their work to the public and critics, and noted that future events will strengthen the position of fine arts in Kuwait’s cultural landscape.

During the opening, a video highlighted milestones in Jassim Buhamad’s career, followed by an honoring ceremony recognizing both Buhamad and the award winners.

View of the Al-Qurain Fine Arts Exhibition.

Musaed Al-Zamel, Assistant Secretary-General for the Arts Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.

Featured artist Jassim Buhamad honored at the Al-Qurain Fine Arts Exhibition.