Categories: Chicago

Artist Sophia Al-Maria wins $100,000 prize from MCA

Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (MCA) announced a winner of the first Dunya Contemporary Art Prize. It is a Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria.

Sophia Al-Maria is a 35-year-old artist, writer, and filmmaker. She got the grand prize, $100,000 in career development. MCA is going to commission her painting that will be exhibited.

The Dunya Contemporary Art exhibition in MCA brought together mid-career Middle Eastern artists who work in challenging conditions and show specific peculiarities of their native cultures.

According to the jury of the exhibition, Sophia Al-Maria created a new visual language, innovative way to tell about the Gulf region’s Bedouin community where her family comes from. Now she lives and works in London, her art is devoted to the problems of social disparities and protection of the environment in such highly developed cities as Dubai (UAE) and Doha (Qatar).

Organizers of the Dunya Contemporary Art Prize stated that the exhibition is going to be held every two years and financed by Shulamit Nazarian Foundation.

Shawn Genzone

Senior writer at the Chicago Morning Star

Recent Posts

Chicago Minimum Wage Rises to $17.05

Chicago’s minimum wage increased to $17.05 per hour on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more workers, as…

5 hours ago

White Sox Beat Orioles Behind Montgomery Double

Colson Montgomery delivered a key go-ahead double in the eighth inning as the Chicago White Sox opened their seven-game road…

19 hours ago

Chicago unveils 2026 Gospel Music Festival lineup

Chicago officials have announced the lineup for the 2026 Chicago Gospel Music Festival, which will return to Millennium Park as…

7 days ago

White Sox seek sweep, division lead vs. Guardians

The Chicago White Sox will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon after securing…

1 week ago

Could Caleb Wilson be the Bulls’ next cornerstone?

As the 2026 NBA Draft approaches, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is drawing increasing attention as one of the premier…

1 week ago

Blackhawks legend Jonathan Toews retires

Jonathan Toews, one of the most accomplished players in Chicago Blackhawks history, officially announced his retirement on Friday, bringing an…

2 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.