401 Richmond is pleased to announce Roda Medhat as the recipient of the 2023 401 Career Launcher Prize. Awarded annually, the prize provides an exceptional opportunity to occupy a coveted 500 square foot studio for a full year at one of Canada’s most dynamic arts facilities. The recipient is chosen from a Toronto-wide competition by a panel of visual arts professionals. The 401 Career Launcher Prize has been presented annually since 2000 as a way of providing support for research and experimentation at a critical time in an emerging artist’s career.
The 2023 401 Career Launcher Prize jury remarked, “With a record number of applications this year, the competition included many deserving applicants. However, Roda Medhat’s practice was a clear standout. His multidisciplinary approach, which has an emphasis on large scale public installations, often explores his Kurdish heritage through a distinct West Asian lens. We are excited to see how this opportunity will enrich Medhat’s sculptural explorations.”
“The award allows me the opportunity to focus and create in a way I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. Studio facilities are a rare commodity in our city and I’m privileged to have 500 sq/ft of space that fosters creation, innovation and research”, says Roda Medhat. “With the Career Launcher opportunity, I aim to use the space to continue my practice and delve deeper into my research around Kurdish and West Asian material culture. Through exploration of Kurdish myths, folktales and craft, I aim to further inform my three dimensional work, which uses textile as sculpture and examines the intersection of traditional craft and contemporary art.”
Medhat will join the 401 Richmond community in Studio 260 from September 2023 to August 2024.
See www.rodamedhat.com and Instagram for more details about his work.
Past Recipients
Sarah Blagg (2000), Angie Nishikihama (2001), Sarah Lowry (2002), Emma Shankland (2003), Kristine Moran (2004), Emmy Skensved (2005), Adam Brandejs (2006), Gareth Bate (2007), Nikki Woolsey (2008), Angela Noussis (2009), Winnie Truong (2010), Chelsea Jamieson (2011), Graham Curry (2012), Kerry Zentner (2013), Erin MacKeen (2014), Kelly Uyeda (2016), Ellen Bleiwas (2017), Carol Cheong (2018), Miles Ingrassia (2019), Emily DiCarlo (2020), Steven K. Tucker (2021), Lana Yuan (2022)
