Kurdish artist wins 2022 Kathleen K. Seefeldt Award

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Lukman Ahmad, a Syrian Kurdish musician and self-taught artist, received the award for best artist of the 2022 Kathleen K. Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence on Thursday. 

“It was a great honor to receive the award for best artist of the 2022 Kathleen K. Seefeldt ‘Award for Arts Excellence’ sponsored by Prince William county’s Art council,” he tweeted.

It was a great honor to receive the award for best artist of the 2022 Kathleen K. Seefeldt ”Award for Arts Excellence” sponsored by Prince William county’s Art council. pic.twitter.com/e6oV9DvFvz

— Lukman Ahmad (@LukmanAhmadArt) May 13, 2022

“Thanks to all my dear friends who supported me during my long art journey, and a special thanks to the director of Gallery ARTfactory Jordan Exum and her team who collaborated with me to set up my first solo exhibition after Corona at ARTfactory,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“The Kathleen K. Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence was established over 15 years ago by the Prince William County Arts Council to recognize and celebrate the artists, arts organizations, volunteers, educators and businesses that build upon and sustain Ms. Seefeldt’s legacy of public service and support for the cultural arts,” reads the official website for the Prince William Country Arts Council. 

Lukman is from Syrian Kurdistan, and, according to his website, his art “reflects the Kurdish experience as well as the human experience.” 

“Self-educated, and deeply in touch with his people and with the intertwined surrounding cultures, he expresses imagination and experiences with authenticity, allowing color and movement to tell the story, be it one of pain or of happiness, of contemplation or passion,” reads his biography.

He held over 45 exhibits in various countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, Switzerland, Lebanon, and the United States.

“His work reflects that value as a path to understanding oneself and one’s environment, and as a method to show the Kurdish experience and to remove conflict and suffering. Purpose, value, and vision, through symbolism, expressionism, and color,” his website says.