This was the third consecutive year of ‘Capture the Spirit of Ramadan’ exhibition held at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. This exhibition showcased the selected photos from the submissions of yearly contest of International Ramadan Photography Competition™ (IRPC), which has marked its 6th edition. Aimed to share the beauty of Islam with the world, IRPC has become an international platform that entices photographers across the globe to seek new perspective of the holy month of Ramadan, in which fasting, the fourth pillar of Islam, is performed. With the same aspiration, the exhibition draws the attention to colourful scenes of the spiritual, cultural and architectural diversities that were well captured through the lenses of these inspiring photographers. These photos told wonderful stories about Ramadan around the world. They serve as a common language shared by thousands of people from different faiths, nations and backgrounds.

About The Spirit of Ramadan™

The Spirit of Ramadan™ is an unprecedented and inspiring international creative initiative that aims to educate and enlighten viewers around the world about the holy month through the art of photography.

The Spirit of Ramadan is a 30-day visual celebration that offers a competitive platform for photographers around the globe to share their documentary and fine art photography while spreading positive imagery of Islam. It is the world’s largest modern collection of Islamic themed photographs from over 60 countries in the culture, architecture and spirituality categories.

The initiative includes the publication of the world’s first photography book and magazine on Ramadan as well as this world-touring exhibition which debuted in Kuala Lumpur at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia under the auspices of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor in 2014 followed by an exhibition in London in liaison with the Greater London Authority at the Eid in Trafalgar Square festival.  The exhibition has also shown in Australia and the United States and has been named as one of the Top Photography Exhibitions by the Islamic Arts Magazine.

The Spirit of Ramadan was founded in 2011 by Dr. Basel Almisshal, an award-winning architect, artist and United Nations Photographic Council member. The photo competition, also known as “Capture the Spirit of Ramadan” or the International Ramadan Photography Competition (IRPC), boasts a prestigious rotating jury panel including: National Geographics’ Steve McCurry; World Press Photo judge and founder of Asia’s largest photography festival, Dr. Shahidul Alam; renowned British photographer Peter Sanders; White House Special Representative to Muslim communities and Harvard Fellow, Farah Pandith, to name a few.

The Spirit of Ramadan initiative is a non-profit, non-partisan social responsibility project by award-winning creative firm Studio Basel and its branding agency, Extreme Imagination™. It has been recognized and praised by the White House, UNESCO, British Museum and the Aga Khan Foundation among others for “Bridging Cultures & Inspiring Creativity”.