Media City Qatar is advancing Qatar’s emerging creative talent onto the international stage, with Yasamin Shaikhi, the inaugural winner of its “Next in Arts” program, earning recognition at two leading design competitions: the Isola Design Awards 2026 and the Design Doha Prize 2026.
Shaikhi’s “The Loudest Grain,” supported by Media City Qatar, won the Lighting category and was named a finalist in the Product category at the Isola Design Awards, earning an opportunity to exhibit at Milan Design Week 2027. She also received the Emerging Talent award at the Design Doha Prize 2026 for her work “The Spoils: Lights from Waste.”
Developed by Media City Qatar in collaboration with Art Basel Qatar, “Next in Arts” is a three-year program designed to identify, support and elevate emerging creative talent through artistic experimentation, greater visibility and international engagement. Shaikhi was selected as its inaugural winner for “The Loudest Grain,” a lighting installation made from biodegradable materials derived from rice waste. The work was unveiled at the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar in 2026, providing an international platform for her creative practice.
Media City Qatar, through “Next in Arts,” is expanding opportunities for local talents to develop their work, reach new audiences, and connect with the global creative community while contributing to the growth of Qatar’s creative economy and the economic diversification and human development objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030
