This Is Art! Winners Announced
AND THE WINNERS ARE …
This Is Art! Winners Announced | Prizefund of over €10,000
CELEBRATING YOUNG ARTISTS OF ALL ABILITIES
For more on all the winners | www.rte.ie/thisisart
The Creative Ireland Programme and RTÉ have today announced the winners of the second This Is Art! national competition which celebrates young artists of all abilities. The winners, below, come from Co. Cork (2), Co Wicklow, Co. Wexford and Co. Mayo and according to the independent panel of judges, the standard of entries was once again extremely high this year, right across the age categories.
Working to the theme, ‘This Is Extraordinary’, almost 2,000 entries were received from young artists of all abilities, aged 18 and under, all over the country who created an original piece of art that will be showcased in an online art gallery for generations to come. In so doing, the competition promotes artistic practice among young people and encourages and supports creativity, originality and self-expression.
Selected works from this year’s entries will feature on billboards across the country and on social media as part of a campaign by The Creative Ireland Programme and RTÉ.
Winners by Age Category
The 2022 This is Art! winners are:
- Age 7 and under: Caterina Chiu Paone from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork – ‘Sleeping on a Rainbow’.
- Age 8 – 11: Phoenix Boniwell from Ballinspittle, Co Cork – ‘The Ghost of Garretstown’
- Age 12 – 15: Elizabeth Wilson from Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow – ‘Papillon’
- Age 16 – 18: Sarah McLoughlin from Killinick, Co. Wexford – ‘Stuck in my Room’
- Group category: Lottie & Rosie Billington (sisters) from Westport, Co. Mayo – ‘Surf On Turn’
Each winner will receive the This Is Art! Grand Prix Award – a specially commissioned trophy handmade by visual artist, Shane Keeling and presenter of the RTÉ series This Is Art Club!
Tania Banotti, Director, The Creative Ireland Programme, says: “On behalf of the Creative Ireland Programme I want to congratulate the winners of This is Art 2022 on their exceptional work . Creative Ireland is delighted to support any opportunity for young people to be creative in whatever form that takes and this year we thrilled to see the broad range of styles and techniques employed by everyone who entered This is Art. Like the judges we were genuinely impressed with the breadth of imagination and skills employed by all of our young artists. We would also like to thank our This is Art partners who have delivered this wonderful creative programme.”
What the winners said
Caterina (0-7): “I’ve been drawing cats since I was 2 and it makes me feel really happy that other people like my work.”
Phoenix (8 – 11): “This is a really big deal for me and I’m extremely excited. It makes really happy that professional artists saw my work and they could understand the message and they thought it was cool, it means a lot to me.”
Elizabeth (12 – 15): “This Is Art! 2022 was the first competition I ever entered apart from school and the fact that I won was kind of insane. After I submitted, I looked through the gallery and I got a bit nervous because there were so many really good artists that were absolutely amazing.”
Sarah (16 – 18): “ When I heard I got first place, I was thrilled, how out of all of Ireland I won, it’s crazy. I think winning this competition will definitely give me the confidence to just keeping going with my art and I’ll be excited to see where my style goes in the future.”
Lottie & Rosie (Group):“We love making mad stuff out of art so it’s really exciting that we won, we were dumbfounded, so excited about it. Art can be anything, it doesn’t have to be paint or what we did in the garden, there’s loads of forms of art and you can use anything for art, it doesn’t have to be a real thing, it can be abstract.”
What the judges said
Aideen Barry (Visual Artist) on Caterina’s piece (0-7): “Oh how I loved this Caterina, the creativity and the consideration you put into constructing such an amazing mix media assemblage. The Cat looked like he really was dozing on the rainbow. Such a wonderful work. Congratulations.”
Amanda Coogan (Visual Artist) on Phoenix’s piece (8 – 11): “This was one of the most extraordinary works I have ever seen made by a young person, the dedication to creating such a wonderful costume that made your protagonist so convincing, I was submerged into the world you had created and as a person from Cork I totally got the connection to the mysticism and otherworldly-ness of your chosen location of Garretstown. Well done, Phoenix. Amazing work.”
Tadhg Crowley (Senior Curator, The Glucksman, UCC) on Elizabeth’s piece (12-15): “An absolutely gorgeous painting! Elizabeth demonstrates an incredible level of skill in the way she manages the paint. From the paintbrushes in the jar to the folds on the clothes, the sensitive colouring of the faces and shades of the hair. Really beautiful. This skill is matched by an imaginative and unique interpretation of the self-portrait and makes Elizabeth’s artwork a deserved winner.”
Aideen Barry (Visual Artist) on Sarah’s piece (16 – 18):“You look like such an interesting person and it appears to me that art in all its forms is at the centre of your world. Your representation in this weird almost 360 degree lens affect in your painting really kind of captured the idea of living in a fishbowl feeling, which I think we can all relate to during this strange time of pandemic living. Such a wonderful painting, I look forward to seeing much more of your work in the future.”
Amanda Coogan (Visual Artist) on Lottie and Rosie’s piece (Group): Lottie and Rosie, I adore your piece. What a brilliant collaboration; making such a fun piece together! I admire how you transferred a drawing on paper into a three-dimensional real-life sculpture. That you used everyday objects and transformed them into a rt and that you both perform in the piece too! Your uncles shed is a treasure trove and hurls are magical! Super congratulations and hope you continue to make more great collaborative works together.
See below for the list of judges.
The Prizes
-
Grand Prix: Each 1st place winner receives the coveted TIA Grand Prix Award of a specially commissioned sculpture by ceramic artist.Shane Keeling
-
Bursary: The 16 to 18 category winners will be offered bursaries towards furthering their art education along with prize vouchers for art supplies and materials.
-
Certificates: 100 young artists will also receive hand printed Certificates of Commendation along with prize vouchers for art materials.
- Group: Group category winners will also receive a bursary towards an art experience for their school or community group.
The Judges
- Annie Fletcher – Director of IMMA, Irish Museum of Modern Art
- Tadhg Crowley – Senior Curator, The Glucksman
- Aideen Barry – Visual Artist
- Amanda Coogan – Visual Artist
- Will Sliney – Illustrator
About The Creative Ireland Programme
The Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based, all of government programme which places creativity at the centre of public policy. It is designed to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. The core idea is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity. It is built around five pillars one of which is Creative Youth: enabling the creative potential of every young person in Ireland.
You can find out more at www.creativeireland.gov.ie