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ACF Art Competition Winners

Date: March 4, 2020

Talented Assyrian artists from across the world participate in our annual Art Competition. Each year, Assyrian artists are invited to submit original pieces in any two-dimensional medium, excluding photography. Art submitted to the competition is reviewed by an independent panel of expert jurors to ensure a fair and balanced judgement process. Prizes are awarded to the artists whose work best represent the theme. 

2020 FIRST PLACE WINNER
RENI STEPHAN

2020 SECOND PLACE WINNER
QAIS AL-SINDY

2020 THIRD PLACE WINNER
MAHER MINYANISH 

2020 HONORABLE MENTION
ATRA GIVARKES 

2020 HONORABLE MENTION
AGNES ISHAK

2019 Grand Prize Winner

“Languages and Colors” by Paul Batou

2019 Second Place Winner

“Sun Star” by Atra Givarkes

2019 Third Place Winner

“Noohara” by Agnes Ishak 

2019 Honorable Mention

“Equestrian” by Qais Al-Sindy

2019 Honorable Mention

“Untitled” by Jelbert Karami

2018 Grand Prize Winner

“Untitled” by Agnes Ishak 

2018 Second Place Winner

“Untitled” by Qais Al-Sindy 

2018 Third Place Winner

“Untitled” by Maher Minyanish

2018 Honorable Mention

“Untitled” by Nahrin Malki

2018 Honorable Mention

“Untitled” by Aeluna Nissan 

2017 Grand Prize Winner

“Assyrian Folklore” by John Malk

2017 Second Place Winner

“The End” by Atra Givarkes

2017 Third Place Winner

“Old Woman Portrait” by Maher Minyanish

2017 Honorable Mention

“Freedom” by Noryana Kazzo

2017 Honorable Mention

“Winter Massacre” by Victoria Akhteebo

2018 Art Competition

Date: August 27, 2018

2018 Art Competition

The 2018 AUAF Fine Arts Competition for International Assyrian Artists gives Assyrian visual artists worldwide at any stage of their careers the opportunity to promote their work and enhance their careers. This year's theme is Awakening.

Assyrian artists are invited to submit original pieces in any two-dimensional medium, excluding photography. Art submitted to the competition will be reviewed by an independent panel of expert jurors to ensure a fair and balanced judgement process. Prizes will be awarded to the artists whose work best represent the theme:

  • 1st Place—$5,000
  • 2nd Place—$3,000
  • 3rd Place—$2,000

Submission deadline is November 15, 2018 at 11:59pm. 

The competition is open to Assyrian artists from around the world aged 18 years or older. Read our 2018 competition guidelines for more information.

 

Assyrian artist Paul Batou reveals his favorite painting

Date: February 23, 2018

Revered Assyrian artist Paul Batou is known around the world for his unique paintings that capture the beauty and the sorrow that defines the Assyrian experience. The California-based Assyrian artist will be in Chicago next month for the opening night of his solo exhibition at the Studio Gallery at AUAF: Poems & Colors.

We spoke to Batou for a quick Q&A ahead of his new exhibition. 

AUAF: What inspires your work as an artist and a poet? 

Batou: Our world is full of excitement. I take inspiration from different events, human struggles, their moments of happiness, our diaspora and our culture. All of those inspire me to create art. As for my poems, the inspiration comes from people, our thoughts, and things I hear in all sorts of discussions. 

 

AUAF: What is your artistic process? 

Batou: All my paintings start with an idea. I usually have a plan for it. Lately, my goal is to create art pieces based on our culture and connect the present to the past, to Mesopotamia. The idea or planning process takes me longer than producing an art piece. 

 

AUAF: Do you have a personal favorite among your own works? 

Batou: "Journey with Ishtar" is my favorite painting. It's also the cover of my autobiography My Last Thoughts about Iraq. It's based on a long poem that I wrote. 

"Journey with Ishtar" by Paul Batou

 

AUAF: What can people expect from your upcoming gallery "Poems & Colors?"

Batou: All of the paintings in my upcoming show "Poems & Colors" were inspired by Marina Benjamin's poems. I read all of her poems and interviewed Marina to understand her thoughts, and then I created a plan to translate her poetry into colors. Viewers will experience the colors of Mesopotamia. I've painted our language, customs, struggle, broken artifacts, love—our search for beauty and freedom in unique colors for people to connect and enjoy. 

Join us at the AUAF on Friday, March 16, 2018 for the opening night of Paul Batou's Solo Exhibition "Poems & Colors." The evening will include a poetry reading and guitar performance. Admission is free.

AUAF Announces Fine Arts Competition for International Assyrian Artists

Date: February 8, 2018

The Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation announces a call for entries for the 2018 AUAF Fine Arts Competition for International Assyrian Artists. The first of its kind, the competition gives Assyrian visual artists worldwide at any stage of their careers the opportunity to promote their work and enhance their careers. This year's theme is Awakening.

Assyrian artists are invited to submit original pieces in any two-dimensional medium, excluding photography. Art submitted to the competition will be reviewed by an independent panel of expert jurors to ensure a fair and balanced judgement process. Prizes will be awarded to the artists whose work best represent the theme:

  • 1st Place—$5,000
  • 2nd Place—$3,000
  • 3rd Place—$2,000

Last year’s competition was limited to Assyrian artists based in the United States. Sixteen talented artists from across the country entered a total of thirty-nine pieces in the AUAF’s first-ever art competition. Click here to see the winners of the 2017 AUAF Art Competition.

This year’s competition is open to Assyrians around the world. Submission deadline is August 15, 2018 at 11:59pm. There’s no charge to enter. Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Learn more about the competition and how to enter.

The AUAF sponsors this competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the Assyrian community.

Assyrian Artist Noora Badeen Wins Second Place in Art Competition Honoring MLK

Date: February 6, 2018

Hostelling International Chicago's Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition invites local students to create murals that are painted onto the second floor windows of the hostel. This year, twenty students were selected to participate by painting individual pieces honoring the life and work of Dr. King. 

The exhibition, entitled "Until Justice Rolls Down Like Waters," is a consideration of the continuing work for justice and racial integration today. The competition is carried out in collaboration with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and gives student artists the opportunity to share perspectives of issues of diversity and civil rights in contemporary society. 

"No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." 
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (August 28, 1963)

Local Assyrian artist Noora Badeen was awarded second place in this year's competition on January 16, 2018. Native to Baghdad, Iraq, Badeen views art as a way to raise awareness about human suffering and promote social justice for all people of the world. Her work primarily focuses on marginalized women and children in the Middle East, and the challenges they face trying to navigate life in conflict-affected areas. She is currently a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Badeen cites Dr. King as a source of inspiration, "He planted the seed for equality in 1950 when he started a movement for Civil Rights. That was the beginning of the long fight for equality for all human beings in America. His dream to make a better life for the next generation was cut short on April 4, 1968 when he was shot and killed where he was standing on the balcony of the Memphis, Tennessee hotel."

Badeen's prize-winning piece has three parts depicting iconic scenes from the Civil Rights Movement. "In the the bottom panel, my idea was to show the ugliness of discrimination in Alabama towards the black community. Then, in the middle panel, several Americans are standing united in support of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision for equality. By interlocking hands, they portray a sense of strength and belief in their mission. The top panel depicts a strong call to action from Martin Luther King, Jr. in his attempt to rouse the people to take a step forward towards justice." 

See more of Noora Badeen's work currently on display in the Studio Gallery at AUAF until February 28. 

 

The "Until Justice Rolls Down Like Waters" Exhibition is open to the public and is on display through early March. For more information, visit www.hichicago.org or contact Anna Henschel at anna.henschel@hiusa.org. 

 

AUAF Awards Scholarship to Rising Assyrian Artist

Date: December 13, 2017

Through community grants and scholarships, the AUAF helps Assyrian students across the globe gain the support and education they need to shape our community’s future. We were proud to award a $5,000 scholarship to Nenous Thabet as he pursues artistic studies in Iraq.

Nenous is a young artist living in Bakhdida, a town in Iraq’s Nineveh Plain. In August 2014, his family was forced to flee their hometown as ISIS invaded the region, and spent three years living in Ankawa. Nenous and his father, Thabet Mikhael, are both artists and were deeply impacted by the footage that emerged showing the terrorist group’s destruction of Assyrian heritage sites. While most felt powerless, Nenous decided there was only one thing he could do: Rebuild.

“They waged a war on art and culture, so I decided to fight them with art.“

Following the liberation of the Nineveh Plain in early 2016, Nenous’s family returned home to find it in ruins: Homes were burnt from the inside out, buildings reduced to rubble, churches blackened by fire. Worst of all, the town was empty. A vibrant city had become a ghost town.

Nearly a year later, life is slowly returning to the town. Nenous and his father led a campaign to eliminate ISIS graffiti in various towns of the Nineveh Plain, leading a team of artists who together painted colorful murals over hateful words. Families have moved back, shops have reopened, and school is in session—but there’s a long, long way to go.

Nenous remains committed to his goal, and continues to recreate iconic pieces. He’s garnered international attention for his work, even landing a feature on CNN. He says his goal is to rebuild Nineveh. “Everyone is born with a purpose. I think this is mine,” he says.

Check out our full interview with Nenous below.

AUAF Awards $5,000 Scholarship to Artist Nenous Thabet

Through community grants and scholarships, the AUAF supports Assyrian students across the globe gain the support and education they need to help shape our community's future. We were proud to award a $5,000 scholarship to Nenous Thabet as he pursues artistic studies in Iraq. Nenous is a young artist living in Bakhdida, a town in Iraq's Nineveh Plain. His hometown was destroyed by ISIS, but his family has since returned and has vowed to rebuild.

Posted by Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation on Wednesday, December 13, 2017

2017 AUAF Art Competition Results

Date: December 4, 2017

Sixteen talented Assyrian artists from across the United States entered a total of thirty-nine pieces in the AUAF’s first annual art competition. Judging for the competition was conducted by Chicago-area artists Tim Anderson, Evelina Mayner, and Hannah Hummel. Our panel was asked to consider and score each piece individually in a series of rounds. Only five artworks could be chosen from the thirty-nine entries as finalists. The judges remarked on the exceptional quality of the work and the difficult task of choosing only five pieces.

The process of narrowing down our applicant pool was a challenging one for our judges, as it was composed of so many impressive and diverse pieces. Ultimately, five pieces were selected to advance to the final round. Congratulations to the winners of the AUAF’s 2017 Art Competition! These exceptional artworks are now on display in the Studio Gallery.

 

Grand Prize Winner

“Assyrian Folklore” by John Malk

Medium: Etching and aquatint
Dimensions: 15.5″ x 10.5″
Awarded $3,000 grand prize 

A portrait of an Assyrian woman dressed in traditional Assyrian folk costume. The piece captures the spirit of Assyrian culture and heritage.

John Malk is an Assyrian artist known for his realistic sketches and portraits. Using graphite pencils and charcoal, Malk has been drawing powerful pieces for years. A native to Syria, Malk’s work is inspired by people from ancient Assyria to modern Syria. He studied art in Damascus, later continuing his education in Poland. In 1992, he resettled in Chicago where continues to create magnificent pieces, capturing the Assyrian spirit in many of his works. His attention to detail brings his portraits to life. Malk believes that art is one of the most effective ways to both document Assyrian history and share Assyrian heritage with the world.  

Second Place Winner

“The End” by Atra Givarkes

Medium: Gold leaf, oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30″ x 30″
Awarded $2,000 prize 

The first painting in Givarkes’s Assyrian Calligraphy series, the piece was inspired by the Assyrian lotus flower design and combines the Assyrian letter tav with the flower. Givarkes’s unique approach to calligraphy incorporated vibrant colors, straying from the sole use of black in traditional calligraphic works.

Born in Urmia, Atra Givarkes is currently based in California. After graduating from high school, Atra attended Tabriz Azad University in Iran, studying graphic design. One year into her education, she relocated to the United States and continued her studies at Modesto Junior College, completing an Associate Degree in Fine Arts. She then transferred to the University of California San Diego, obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Visual Arts in 2016. While attending college, she worked as a volunteer curator for the university’s art gallery, and participated in many student exhibitions. Her pieces and drawings are comprised of calligraphic compositions that reflect both her memories and her identity as an Assyrian. 

Third Place Winner

“Old Woman Portrait” by Maher Minyanish

Medium: Charcoal on paper
Dimensions: 14″ x 18″
Awarded $1,000 prize

A portrait of an old Assyrian woman created using charcoal art. The piece was drawn from a photograph of an elderly woman taken by the artist. It captures the pain and resilience that defines the Assyrian soul.

Born in Mosul, Iraq, Maher Minyanish is an Assyrian artist working in the Chicago area. He resettled in the United States in 2009. Though he left his homeland behind due to war, he carried his love and passion for his heritage with him. Minyanish feels obligated to create pieces that represent Assyrian history and heritage—a common theme in much of his work. A self-taught artist, Minyanish discovered his passion for art as a child and draws inspiration from the changing world around him. He is inspired by human experiences and stories, and is known for his portrait work. (Update: Noor’s winning piece was featured on his subsequent appearance on ABC’s Windy City Live. Check it out here!)

Honorable Mention

“Freedom” by Noryana Kazzo

Medium: Charcoal pencil on paper
Dimensions: 22″ x 15″

The young boy depicted behind the fence represents all Assyrian children in Iraq who live under oppression and have to overcome barriers daily and their desire to live freely as equal citizens, with the freedom and opportunities afforded to children in other parts of the world.

Noryana Kazzo is a nineteen year-old artist from Iraq. Her family fled persecution in Iraq, resettling in Syria, where she spent her childhood. She discovered her love for art at the age of ten. She is a self-taught artist, who credits her father as one of her teachers. She did not have the opportunity to formally study art in Syria. After fleeing the war in Syria, Noryana and her family resettled in the United States, where she would take her very first art class. She continues to evolve as an artist, and hopes to study art after graduating from high school this spring. 

Honorable Mention

“Winter Massacre” by Victoria Akhteebo

Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 11″ x 14″

This piece represents the horrors of gang violence in Chicago, depicting the residual blood left from the violence that plagued spring, summer, and fall in the wintertime. The white and grey rectangles symbolize rival gangs. The different color lines represent the arteries of innocent victims, each with their own story.

Victoria Akhteebo is a Chicago-based artist who began her artistic journey at the age of eight drawing jewelry and fashion designs. She later developed an interest in graffiti art, and studied the craft independently, initially by recreating popular graffiti pieces for practice until she developed her own personal style. Akhteebo hopes her artwork will push viewers out of their comfort zone, not only through her style of work, but by depicting subjects that are often considered controversial. Her work presents a critical view of life and prompts the viewer to question their own perspective on some of society’s toughest questions.