Dr. Sherif Fakhry Mohamed Abdel Naby, President of the Egyptian Russian University, announced the hosting of the “Faculty of Fine Arts” at the university; For the “Nawar Award for Painting” in its sixth session (2024), where the permanent supreme committee for the competition, headed by A. Dr. Ahmed Nawar awarded the award this year under the concept of “Creativity and Resistance – The Question of Palestine and the Awakening of Consciousness.” This confirms the importance of the role and effectiveness of art in national affairs. He pointed out that hosting the award comes from the university’s keenness to motivate talented students, develop their abilities, and hone their skills. As well as deepening the spirit of belonging and awareness of identity. In an effort to make the university a distinguished position in the field of art and design, and to prepare distinguished graduates capable of competing in various arts specializations, the award activities are hosted and organized with the support of Dr. Mohamed Kamal Al-Sayed Mustafa, Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees.

 From his side, international artist Dr. Ahmed Nawar, founder of the award and former head of the Fine Arts Sector, said that the “Nawar Award for Drawing” comes in its sixth session this year to enhance the spirit of belonging in forming students’ awareness, as well as emphasizing the importance of linking art to national issues, especially the Palestinian issue. It will also contribute to linking Students in the paths of the Egyptian artistic movement in its intellectual and emotional dimensions… Explaining the importance of the art of drawing as a basis in forming the creative personality of any artist, as the award aims to consolidate the artistic principles in the generation of new creators, especially art students in the faculties of art in Egyptian universities… Emphasizing the necessity of linking art to national issues, explaining Artworks have had a great impact on combating wars, persecution, and racial discrimination in the world.

It is worth noting that the artistic career of the artist Ahmed Nawar is considered a high-level plastic equivalent of the Egyptian national movement and the struggle of its people to liberate the land, which was linked to the Palestinian issue in all its stages.

 In the same context, Dr. Mohamed Orabi, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Egyptian Russian University, explained that the Faculty’s hosting of this important award in this significant historical circumstance came to establish a new awareness among our students that emphasizes the importance of reviving the values ​​of truth, goodness, justice, freedom and equality, which had almost disappeared from the past. Collective awareness, especially the awareness of the younger generations, who did not live up to the major events and issues that the Arab nation went through, most notably the Palestinian issue, which has now transcended geographical, ethnic, and ideological borders, due to the comprehensive war of annihilation, which the sinful Zionist entity is waging against the Palestinian people in Gaza, Palestine. The ferocity and barbarism of that war contributed to reviving interest in the Palestinian issue and awakened the human conscience in a form that we can call the Great Awakening, that is, the awakening of human consciousness in all parts of the globe, which makes us reconsider the humanity of art and emphasize its role in consolidating identity with its national cultural and human values.

The Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Egyptian Russian University explained that the award activities started from January 2024 and continue until December of the same year, as the activities include an integrated program; To develop intellectual and technical skills through two main tracks, the first of which is lectures that enhance students’ awareness of art and resistance throughout the ages and at the level of the global modern art movement, with a focus on the connection between modern and contemporary Egyptian drawing art and society in all its issues, as well as presentations on the descriptive potential and expressive energies of the art of drawing. Which promotes “practical” technical workshops that contribute to students possessing the skills required to express their ideas in high-level aesthetic formats.

Dr. Mohamed Orabi stated that participation in the events and award program is open to students of the Faculties of Fine Arts and Applied Arts at the Egyptian Russian University, based on the approval of the founder of the award, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Nawar, and the Permanent Higher Committee. He explained that the university will honor the winners of the previous five sessions within the activities The exhibition will conclude next December by holding an exhibition of their works next to the exhibition of participants in the sixth session (2024).

In the same context, Dr. Heba Al-Hawari, head of the award’s jury, said that the theme of the award at its sixth session: “Art and Resistance – The Palestinian Issue and the Awakening of Consciousness.” She stressed that art is the conscience of humanity, and explained how art goes hand in hand with humanitarian issues.

For his part, Dr. Sherif Shoukry, lecturer of the art edition at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Egyptian Russian University, and the general coordinator of the award for the program of activities developed by the college based on professors specialized in the fields of the art of drawing and painting, the philosophy of fine arts, and the historical, aesthetic and technical sciences of art…noting the conditions for admission to the program and the award as follows: the next:

 Participation in the events and award program is open to students of the College of Fine Arts – the incubator of the award this year.

 – And students of the College of Applied Arts.

 – The student has the right to participate in one work and a maximum of three works.

 – The student has the right to participate in the workshops accompanying the course in addition to his participation in the competition.

 Participating students must adhere to the specified sizes, so that the largest side does not exceed 120 cm.

 – Works executed with drawing materials are accepted: “lead, charcoal, felt-tip, and inks.”

 The submitted works must be produced in the years 2023-2024, and the participant must sign the date of production and the material used on the back of the work.

Participants are prohibited from submitting works that have previously been presented or judged in any “previous” competition, including artistic projects, whether graduation projects or projects for the academic years at the college. In the event that a violation of the previous condition is proven, the work will be removed from display and the award will be withdrawn if the work wins one of the awards presented.

 The competition rules oblige participants to submit work in the appropriate framework that is compatible with the nature and form of the presentation.

 The award’s general commissioner added that the required attachments are as follows:

 – A signed participation form with complete information is submitted.

 – A copy of the national ID card.

 – A CD containing an electronic image of the works with a quality of 300 megapixels.

 – A personal photo of the participating artist suitable for inclusion in the contestant’s catalogue.

 The competition prizes are awarded by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Nawar, founder of the award, with a total value of 32,000 pounds, divided as follows:

 -“First Prize”: 10,000 pounds + certificate of appreciation + golden pen.

 -Second Prize: 7,000 pounds + certificate of appreciation + golden pen.

 -“Third Prize”: 5,000 pounds + certificate of appreciation + golden pen.

 – “Five incentive awards”: the value of each of them is 2,000 pounds + a certificate of appreciation + a golden pen.

 – Each contestant receives a certificate of participation.

 It is worth noting that the award’s permanent supreme committee is made up of artists: “Prof. Ahmed Nawar, founder of the award, Dr. Heba Al-Hawari, writer, critic, and head of the jury, Dr. Amal Nasr, artist and visual critic, Dr. Khaled Al-Baghdadi, journalist, writer, visual critic, and artist.” Mohamed Kamal, the artist and visual critic, Dr. Mustafa Issa, the artist and researcher in the aesthetics of visual art, the artist Mai Ahmed Nawar, a graphic designer and Secretary-General of the Award.” As for the Supreme Committee organizing the Award, it is: “Dr. Mohamed Badari, Vice Dean of the College, Dr. Sherif Shukri, General Director of the session.” The sixth session, and the artist Nadim Orabi, assistant commissioner of the sixth session.