Korean artist Lee Bul receives prestigious arts award from UAE

The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) honored Korean contemporary artist Lee Bul with the Abu Dhabi Festival Award, recognizing her global influence on contemporary visual art and underscoring growing cultural ties between the United Arab Emirates and Korea. The award ceremony took place in Seoul on Dec. 17 during a panel discussion organized under ADMAF’s Art @ Embassies initiative. The Abu Dhabi Festival Award is presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to culture and the arts. ADMAF said the award was conferred under the honorary founding patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs and founding honorary patron of the Abu Dhabi Festival. The honor was presented by Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE ambassador to Korea; Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of ADMAF and founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival; and Huh Yong-soo, CEO of GS Energy and vice chairman of GS Group. Lee is regarded as one of Korea’s most influential contemporary artists, with an international career spannin