We are very proud to announce the winners of the Derwent Art Prize People’s Choice Awards.
To celebrate the number and the quality of artworks submitted for this year’s edition, and in support of artists during these unusually difficult months, we made the decision to increase the prize fund… which means, instead of awarding one winner with a prize of £500, we will be awarding two!
Out of the 4,756 entries submitted by 1,884 artists from 72 different countries, the Derwent Art Prize judges selected a shortlist of 70 pieces. Then, it was your turn to choose two winning artists by voting for your favourites online.
After weeks of fierce competition, the people have spoken! The Prize received 4,813 votes from around the world and the two artists who will win a share of the £1,000 People’s Choice Awards have been selected: Faye Bridgwater and Oluwatobi Adewumi.
People’s Choice First Prize Winner: Faye Bridgwater, Studying Murmurations
Brighton-based artist Faye Bridgwater is inspired by the Sussex landscape, from the pebbles and seagulls of Brighton beach to the rolling hills of the South Downs. Over the winter months, thousands of starlings visit Brighton and fly together over the sea between the piers – performing their “murmurations”. The artist created her winning work, Studying Murmurations, using pencil and graphite aquarelle to capture the birds’ energetic yet graceful movement in 140 studies.
Faye Bridgwater explains “I hammered the pencil into the paper to create the clutters of birds. Sometimes the study is from a distance with the Murmurations strange shapes over the sea other times it’s right in the heart of the flock. This gives each little square its own unique feel but also conjures up the idea of storytelling or old slides flicking through, even the squares of an Instagram feed”.
People’s Choice Second Prize Winner: Oluwatobi Adewumi, Doublesided
Oluwatobi Adewumi is a Nigerian-born artist currently living and working in Arkansas, USA. Oluwatobi has had a lifelong interest in art and his current work is inspired by his own experience of living in both Nigeria and the USA.
His practice examines the lives of different people, societies and cultures across the African continent and the role history plays on contemporary culture. Doublesided, a hyper-realistic drawing created with charcoal on paper, illustrates his belief that “every face has a story to tell”.
Like both of the People’s Choice Award winners, the 70 artworks shortlisted for the Derwent Art Prize 2020 exhibition reflect the wide scope of contemporary drawing, from spontaneous sketches to hyper-realistic renditions, from black pencil to multicolour. The exhibition of all 70 artworks is now available in a virtual exhibition.
Well done to all shortlisted artists, and congratulations to our two People’s Choice winners, Faye Bridgwater and Oluwatobi Adewumi!
To stay updated on the Derwent Art Prize, please visit the Derwent Art website and join the conversation using #DerwentArtPrize:
Facebook: @derwentartofficial and @derwentartprize
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Twitter: @derwentart