Irish-Iraqi artist selected for new Crawford award
A Cork-based Irish-Iraqi artist has become the first recipient of a new award given out by the Crawford Art Gallery.
Basil Al-Rawi, a Midleton-based member of the Mór Collective, was selected for the inaugural Gibson Travelling Fellowship Award following a competitive open-call selection process, which sought to identify a clear vein of innovation, experimentation, and impact.
The award, which is worth €25k and will be given to a new artist every three years, aims to support professional visual artists at a self-determined crucial stage in their careers.
It is a legacy of one of the most significant gifts to Crawford Art Gallery. In 1919, Joseph Stafford Gibson bequeathed his collections and a fund to enrich the holdings of Crawford Art Gallery and to provide a travel scholarship to talented artists in Munster.
Basil Al-Rawi’s practice explores the landscapes of personal and cultural memory, hybrid identity, and the digital mediation of reality. He will use the award to support an extended period of self-determined enquiry across Lebanon, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and France. As a member of the Mór Collective, Al-Rawi has established himself as a vital part of the creative community in Midleton and East Cork.
Mary McCarthy, Director, Crawford Art Gallery, said: “Basil Al-Rawi’s clear proposal and considered approach articulated an openness and opportunity to enrich his own practice. Addressing contested histories, memory, and the politics of visibility, the proposed professional travel could not be more timely or relevant and will allow the artist to expand his horizons.
“We believe he is a very deserving inaugural winner, and we look forward to being a support institution to his practice through this fellowship. The gallery is grateful to Culture Ireland for its support and the diligent care of our assessment panels,” added Ms McCarthy.
Al-Rawi was selected from a shortlist by a panel of experts working in the field of contemporary art: Dragana Juriši (artist and educator), Megs Morley (Director and Curator, Galway Arts Centre), Paul McAree (Curator, Lismore Castle Arts), and chaired by Mary McCarthy (Director, Crawford Art Gallery).
The panellists said: “We were very impressed by the quality and high calibre of artists who applied for this award. It highlighted to us the need for more developmental opportunities for artists that are flexible, open ended, and not outcome dependent. It is critical for Irish artists to be mobile, to develop their international networks and experience and to replenish their practices through self-directed and self-reflective opportunities.”