Pakistani Artist awarded with Medal of Arts by US State Department

Pakistani Artist awarded with Medal of Arts by US State Department

Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi has been honoured with a Medal of Arts Award by the US State Department for 2017, making him the first Pakistani ever to receive this honour.

The awardees for this year also include Nick Cave, Jenny Holzer, Wolf Kahn and Rachel Whiteread. Qureshi was honoured in a ceremony hosted by Deputy US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington D.C on 12th January 2017 at the State Department’s historic Benjamin Franklin Room.

The Medal of Arts award was initiated by Art in Embassies in 2013 to formally acknowledge artists who have played an exemplary role in advancing the US State Department’s mission of promoting cultural diplomacy through the visual arts and international cultural exchange.

Indeed each recipient’s artwork serves as a bridge between other nations, encourages discussion and expression and highlights the communal experiences of people from countries, cultures, and backgrounds worldwide.

Previously honoured artists include, Jeff Koons, Cai Gou-Qiang, Mark Bradford and Maya Lin amongst others.