Ghulam Hyder Daudpota wins Jerwood Prize, The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts

The Jerwood Foundation has presented the Jerwood Prize for Traditional Arts 2010 to Ghulam Hyder Daudpota. Established with The Prince's School of Traditional Arts (PSTA), the £2,500 prize, in its third year, is an annual award granted to one student at PSTA to recognise exceptional work and talent in the field of traditional Islamic arts and craftsmanship. The judging panel included Dr Khaled Azzam (Director, PSTA), Professor Keith Critchlow (Director, PSTA) and Mr Paul Marchant (Director of Education, PSTA). The prize was presented to Hyder by HRH The Prince of Wales, President of PSTA, during The Prince's visit to the degree show.Alan Grieve (Chairman of the Jerwood Foundation) said: 'The Prince's School for Traditional Arts represents all that the Jerwood Foundation stands for; to fund responsible and imaginative initiatives within the visual and performing arts, to support talented professionals in the early years of their careers, and to support excellence in all areas of human endeavour. Alongside the Jerwood Prize, we have also made a grant to the School to support its core teaching and values'.Ghulam Hyder Daudpota belongs to a ceramic tile-making family from the small town of Nasarpur, Sindh, Pakistan where this work has been practised for many centuries. Kashikari is now a dying art form in the region due to an absence of patronage and lack of understanding over the importance of the art form, along with the proliferation of cheap industrial products. Hyder has observed that poor quality work is produced, not only for contemporary practice but for the restoration of the historic buildings. With this in mind he has decided to work towards a revival of traditional ceramic craftsmanship in Pakistan. During his period of study at the Prince's School he has travelled and received internships in some of the Islamic countries where tradition ceramics are still practised. For his final project Hyder is constructing a fountain inspired by a study trip to the Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain and Kashikari tile panels from the Jama Mosque, Nasarpur, Pakistan. The Jama Mosque was adorned with hand-painted tiles on its façade and minaret; sadly this mosque has recently been demolished. The Jerwood Foundation makes strategic capital grants, reflecting its passion for the arts and education, and has made a major contribution to the arts in the UK since its formation in 1977. The Foundation is the parent trust of related and self standing Jerwood initiatives including the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, Jerwood Space and Jerwood Gallery in Hastings (opening 2011) which will house the Jerwood Collection of 20th and 21st works. Since 1991, the Jerwood Foundation and Jerwood Charitable Foundation have channeled more than £80 million into capital and revenue projects. For further information visit www.jerwood.org