Handicrafts Photography Contest Winners announced

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Dubai, February 6, 2021

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the December edition of the Instagram Photo Contest themed ‘Handicrafts’.

The Competition received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Handicrafts.

Winners hailed from Egypt, Oman, Turkey and Iran.

HIPA Secretary General Ali bin Thalith said that since ancient times, each region has been known for some handicrafts that distinguish it from the rest of the world.

“Often, these crafts are inherited from parents and ancestors and are appropriate to the region’s nature, location, needs and natural resources. With the passage of time, the owner of the craft not only masters their craft but may also innovate while others may stay true to its traditions. The creative lens has the gift of being able to capture and share a glimpse of the passion that a person has for their craft. We congratulate the winners and invite the rest of the participants to persevere and make sure they continue to participate in upcoming editions to achieve their own personal win,” he said.

Omani has high aspirations

Sultan Said Sultan Almajali, Winner from Oman said, “I took the photo on the island of Masirah in the Sultanate of Oman, where I was struck by this old woman weaving as a daily craft that she loves and surely knows. This is my first win on social media platforms. Winning ‘HIPA’ was a precious goal for me, and it has been achieved. It was a great day in my career as a photographer. I aspire to reach the highest levels of experience and professionalism in photography, to be one of the famous photographers in the world. Winning ‘HIPA’ is one of the biggest goals for every photographer because of the reputation and promotion it provides to the photographer in the international photography community.”

Saleh Abdalla Elsayed Hassan, another Winner from Egypt said, “I took the photo during a Nubian trip in Upper Egypt, where I met this woman in a village while she was working in the handicrafts that she sold to visitors. In the photo, she works on a wool sock coloured in their favourite colours that you find on the walls of homes, and it happened that the sky view complemented the colours in this photo, which gave it a special aesthetic. I have already won other competitions, but this is my first win in this competition, and it has inspired me to continue aspiring as a photographer.”