ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

With generous support from the Farjam Foundation, NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has established a new fellowship in honour of the late Tarek Al-Ghoussein, professor of visual arts and first director of the Master of Fine Arts programme at NYUAD.

The Fellowship will be awarded every academic year to an outstanding student in the MFA programme. The first recipient of the Tarek Al-Ghoussein Fellowship is Adele Bea Cipste, a first-year MFA student at NYUAD who completed her undergraduate degree in 2022 at NYUAD and is currently pursuing an MFA in Art and Media at the University. “It is always great to see students recognised for their achievements, and it is wonderful that Adele Bea Cipste has been named the first Tarek Al-Ghoussein Fellow,” said NYUAD Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann. “Adele is an outstanding graduate student who was mentored by Tarek Al-Ghoussein, and has already become a key participant in the growing UAE art community. We miss Tarek, and are proud that his legacy at NYUAD and in the international art world continues to shine. We are profoundly grateful to the Farjam Foundation for supporting this valued initiative.”

“The Farjam Foundation is proud to support this Fellowship, an initiative conceived with Dr. Mariët Westermann in order to recognise the enduring legacy of Tarek Al-Ghoussein, and to offer future generations the possibility of contributing to the growth of the UAE creative community,” commented Founder of the Farjam Foundation, Farhad Farjam.

The Farjam Foundation is renowned for its extensive and discerning collection of modern and contemporary art from the MENA region and West Asia, and for its rich legacy of supporting arts education and cultural exchange. The collaboration between NYUAD and the Foundation is inspired by a shared dedication to making art accessible to all and providing opportunities for artists to explore, understand, and enrich the human experience through their art. It underscores a shared vision for empowering artists and promoting the role of art in dialogue and discovery.

Tarek Al-Ghoussein, a revered professor at NYUAD and highly regarded artist of international renown, made an indelible mark on the artistic and academic landscape of the UAE. He joined NYUAD’s art faculty in 2013 and was granted tenure in 2019. His contributions to the arts at the University were profound, and they extended far beyond the classroom and the studio. Museums around the world continue to collect his acclaimed photographic works, celebrated for their deep engagement with his Palestinian and Kuwaiti heritage and the changing landscapes of the Gulf. In 2013 Al-Ghoussein represented Kuwait at the 55th Venice Biennale, the world’s biggest and most historic stage for showcasing contemporary art.