The British Library Piggot Theatre provided a magnificent backdrop for the eighth annual Women in Art Prize ceremony last month, and the atmosphere was electric. What began as a platform for emerging female artists has evolved into one of the most anticipated dates in the contemporary art calendar – a gathering that draws collectors, curators and art enthusiasts eager to discover the next generation of talent.
This year’s prize spanned painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and beyond, with judges faced with an extraordinarily strong field. The evening itself captured everything the prize stands for: bold artistic vision, mutual support among women creatives, and a commitment to reshaping who gets seen and celebrated in the art world.
The Winners
Bianca Raffaella emerged as the evening’s star, claiming both the Overall Winner – Art Academy Exhibition Prize and the Printing Prize (supported by Printed Editions) for her series Just out of reach – Close; Closer; Closest. Her work, which examines intimacy, proximity and shifting perspectives, set the tone for a ceremony that celebrated complexity, emotional depth and fresh ways of looking.
The Paula Rego Painting Prize was awarded to Judy Clarkson for Kneeling Woman – a work the judges praised for its quiet intensity and enduring presence. Meanwhile, photographer Rona Bar took home the Eve Arnold Photography Prize for Lois and her mother Carey, before Shabbat dinner, a moving portrait of family bonds, ritual and intergenerational connection.
Sally Baldwin won the Sculpture Prize with Lost Souls, and Emi Avora received the Overseas Artist Prize (supported by the Tryson Collection) for To See Everything at Once – both works demonstrating how powerfully material and perspective can be pushed into new territory.
Exhibition and Residency Opportunities
One of the prize’s greatest strengths is its ability to create tangible opportunities for artists. This year saw several exhibition prizes awarded to outstanding work:
- Annie Luke Turner – Helsfell Hall 2 – Hampstead School of Art Exhibition Prize
- Ellis King – Desperate Housewife – Square Feet Gallery Exhibition Prize
- Helen Masacz – Eat pray love – Riverstone Living Prize
- Jitrachote White – Quiet Resolve – Hosking House Trust Residency Prize
The British Library provided a magnificent backdrop for the eighth annual Women in Art Prize ceremony last month, and the atmosphere was electric. What began as a platform for emerging female artists has evolved into one of the most anticipated dates in the contemporary art calendar – a gathering that draws collectors, curators and art enthusiasts eager to discover the next generation of talent.
Founded in 2000 by artist Tanya Russell, The Art Academy blends skills based art education with contemporary processes and theory to help students produce a rich, sustainable practice. We believe a portrait should be as conceptually considered as an installation and an installation as carefully crafted as a portrait.
Our unique hands-on teaching approach offers the highest number of contact hours of any higher education art school in the UK across their academic courses.
We offer art courses for all levels – from a BA or Fine Art Foundation, to evening and weekend short courses in Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking and much more. We also provide support with bursaries and special education needs, and our community outreach programmes help make art education accessible in Southwark and the surrounding area.
As an art education charity, we’re passionate about championing art for all. We offer student bursaries that we designate from our own funds – we put any surplus back into supporting students and undertaking outreach work.
artPakk – The Reusable, Eco-Friendly Art Packaging Solution You Didn’t Know You Needed, the Future of Art Packaging Is Here: Protective, Reusable, Sustainable, Designed to replace wasteful single-use materials like bubble wrap, plastic film, and tape, artPakk offers an eco-friendly alternative that saves time, reduces waste, and protects both your artwork and the environment, there’s no better way to protect your artwork during transport, storage, or handling, the reusable art packaging solution trusted by artists, galleries, framers, and art shipping companies across the world.
The Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS) is the only not-for-profit Community Interest Company dedicated to the collection of the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR), or droit de suite, and copyright on behalf of artists and artists’ estates in both the UK, EEA, Australia and New Zealand.
ACS is the premium collecting society for the administration of the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR). ARR is a royalty generated on the sale price of original works of art that are sold on the secondary market and it applies to all artists who are nationals of the UK, EEA, Australia and New Zealand. ACS is delighted to confirm that following its withdrawal from the European Union, the UK Government have published legislation which safeguards ARR for the thousands of artists and artists’ estates who rely upon the royalty.
Exclusive digital art magazine💡Discover incredible talent, inspiring stories, captivating creations, and useful tips!
ARTVOX is an independent art media project based in London. Subscribers from anywhere in the world can apply to be featured in our rolling selection. We invite you to connect with interviews, spotlights, and field notes from London and beyond.
Bridgeman Images is the world’s leading image licensing agency for authentic visual content, giving creatives access to an unrivalled collection spanning fine and contemporary art, museum works, photography, footage and cultural treasures. From iconic historical artists to today’s most exciting creators, our imagery and footage is carefully sourced, rights-cleared and backed by provenance.We are more than an archive. Part of a global cultural ecosystem, we connect artists with brands to power extraordinary projects across advertising, publishing, film, fashion and beyond.
Cass Art is the UK’s leading retailer of art supplies, dedicated to making quality materials accessible for everyone, from students to professionals, with a mission to “Fill this town with artists” by offering top brands, expert advice, and supporting the art community through events and partnerships. They sell a wide range of products like paints (oil, acrylic, watercolour), canvases, brushes, sketchbooks, pens, and easels, all at competitive prices.
D Contemporary was established in a prestigious Mayfair location seven years ago to specialize in two areas; to help newly graduating and emerging artists gain exposure to the commercial art world far earlier than might otherwise be possible and to showcase contemporary art from dynamic artistic communities around the world, typically, markets with limited access in the London art scene.
The Eve Arnold Estate manages the legacy of the pioneering Magnum photographer, focusing on making her accessible “folk art” through affordable prints and promoting her vast, intimate archive of celebrity portraits (Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth II, Malcolm X), social history (Civil Rights, poverty), and human interest stories, ensuring her work remains vibrant and available to all generations through exhibitions, online releases, and collaborations.
Fabric Magazine,
The definitive guide to Luxury London living, Fabric magazine readers – are creative and independent, but they’re also highly successful; often self-made, these readers are an aspirational group. Fabric epitomises north London living – celebrating the people, the place, the lifestyle. Hand-delivered each month to north and central London’s finest addresses, the magazine provides the ultimate guide to making the most of life north of the river – from the latest cultural events to the best restaurants, bars, boutiques and beauty treatments, you can trust Fabric to know what to see and where to be seen. Designed to get readers talking, the magazine provides a truly compelling environment for advertisers – and with a distribution of 50,000 copies every month in areas covering north west London’s most affluent postcodes
Gillian Jason Gallery works with female-identifying artists from across the generations to present engaging exhibitions about the most resonant ideas of our time. A combination of attuned cultural consciousness, people-first relationships, and a 40-year history of exhibiting work by pioneering artists, makes GJG a go-to reference point for those looking to support and collect art from beyond the white male canon that addresses today’s critical shifts. The development of the gallery runs parallel with that of modern feminism, a correlation that’s never far from curatorial considerations at GJG. As contemporary feminism progresses with increasingly inclusive awareness, the team continues to explore and evolve its own conceptions around what is most salient in art by women.
Founded in 1980, Gillian Jason and her eponymous gallery were pioneering in shaping the Modern British art market for over 20 years. In 2019, the Gallery faced a new start when it was taken over by Elli and Millie Jason Foster, respectively Gillian’s daughter and granddaughter. The duo re-established a physical gallery space in Central London, 2021. Shortly after, Millie Jason Foster took over, as the third generation of women to direct GJG.
As Thomas Hirschhorn tells us;
“Art is – in all circumstances inclusive. Art has nothing to do with exclusivity. The Art-Public is a non-exclusive- public. This is the opposite of a pre-determined selected, and initiated public”.
Located in a new purpose-built building in Hampstead’s Kidderpore Green development, close to Hampstead Heath, HSoA is steeped in the vibrant cultural and artistic tradition of the area, following in the footsteps of John Constable, Lucian Freud and many others who have lived and worked in Hampstead. As a Charity, no 1072327, we strive to provide art learning to those who could not otherwise access it and support them to achieve their potential by gaining essential skills, or for career development or change, often both. Operating over four floors, the new building comprises open plan fine art studios, a sculpture and ceramics studio, life drawing room, printmaking, silk painting and jewellery making facilities, dedicated studio spaces for Foundation and Advanced Course students, library and resources area, plus the beautiful HSoA Gallery, the Glass Gallery, HSoA Cafe and an outdoor piazza.
Steeped in 125 years of history, our membership community comes together to enjoy complimentary access to live shows in the Theatre and the House, alongside a rich cultural calendar of events and late night dining. Three restaurants, two outdoor terraces, eight cocktail bars, secret vinyl rooms, a hidden speakeasy, spaces for daytime working and a stunning penthouse with a high spec recording studio for podcasts and music.
The Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (1209930) that has been active since 2002. We support established women writers, artists and practitioners of associated creative activities, normally over the age of 40 and facing some kind of need, in the continued development of their work. The need might be financial, personal, domestic, medical and/or for time, peace, quiet and a break from normal routine or disruption to concentrate on creativity. We provide this support primarily, but not exclusively, through short-term residencies and, when needed and viable, bursaries.
Located on The Mall in central London, between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, Mall Galleries offers three interlinking galleries, a cafe and shop, and is home to a unique artist-led charity. Mall Galleries is the home of the Federation of British Artists (FBA), a visual arts charity founded in 1961. The Federation is a collective of nine leading art societies, eight of which stage annual open exhibitions at Mall Galleries. The ninth is the Hesketh Hubbard Art Society, London’s largest life drawing group.
Each of the societies has a unique character or specialism within the field of contemporary figurative art:
Royal Society of British Artists
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
Royal Institute of Oil Painters
New English Art Club
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Pastel Society
Hesketh Hubbard Art Society
Royal Society of Marine Artists
Society of Wildlife Artists
The Federation of British Artists is governed by a Board of Trustees, made up of artists from the societies. To quote Arts Review, the FBA is ‘run by artists … it is a viable co-operative of the arts’ (18 December 1971). Today there are over 500 member artists within the Federation.Margin London
We believe that prints represent one of art’s most democratic and accessible forms – historically used to spread ideas, document moments, and make art affordable. In an age of disposable digital images, we exist to champion the unique qualities of fine printmaking – the craftsmanship, the artist’s and printmaker’s creativity, and the careful consideration of each edition. We aim to inform and delight both experienced and new collectors of fine prints, to help them better appreciate what a fine print is, as well as make them aware of the range and variety of prints that are available to acquire. We make it easy for collectors to access fine prints from expert print dealers and master printers. Collectors can speak directly with galleries without having to go through any middleman. Launched in 2010, we continue to successfully connect collectors with leading galleries and print studios. We have since built an international community of like-minded galleries who are passionate about fine prints and who are keen on making new connections with collectors from around the world. Printed-editions is regarded as a valuable and leading resource for the for collectors to discover and buy fine prints.
The Paula Rego Estate manages the legacy of the renowned Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego (1935-2022), focusing on promoting her powerful figurative work that explores themes of power, gender, and society through paintings, pastels, and sculptures, often featuring female protagonists and dark narratives inspired by folklore, personal history, and political events like Portugal’s abortion debate, with the estate actively supporting exhibitions and initiatives such as the “Women in Art Prize” to honor her spirit of empowering other artists. The estate collaborates with major galleries like Victoria Miro and Cristea Roberts Gallery on retrospectives and exhibitions, including “Paula Rego: Drawing from Life“, and supports institutions like the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego museum in Portugal.
Buy – When you purchase your apartment at Riverstone the initial sale price is lower than that of a traditional residential development with an equivalent amenity and service offering.
Live – Riverstone ensures the highest level of service offering, from five-star concierge to wellbeing support at affordable levels with cost certainty. Riverstone does not make a profit from your monthly membership fee.
Sell – When you come to sell, you will pay us a Deferred Fee – a common payment structure in the retirement living sector. The Deferred Fee covers the cost of capital works and improvements and community infrastructure. It also covers the cost of maintaining the extensive and high-quality communal amenities in the long term. We share a common interest as we want to see you achieve the highest sale price possible, for us both to achieve the maximum return on our investment.
Square Feet Architects Gallery
Remarkable places for living and learning should give something back to communities. We listen to everyone concerned and develop a genuine dialogue, winning planning approval for even the most difficult sites. We’re expert in new and pre-loved buildings and care about our service to you from feasibility stage to completion, and beyond. We work in a variety of scales, from individual homes to schools to £20 million mixed use schemes.
I am an author, songwriter, charity Trustee, philanthropic funder, and mentor. In addition to my role on the Council of the University of Sussex, I am currently on the Advisory Board of Women in Art and a judge of what is now the biggest painting prize for emerging female artists in the UK. Additionally, I am a Trustee of Topsy Foundation – a community development programme in rural South Africa, and an Ambassador and Mentor for The Amos Bursary.
During my earlier career, I accumulated over twenty-five years’ senior and top management experience in the public and private sectors, in the areas of regeneration, international development, diversity, equalities, and inclusion. I’ve also been a Non-Executive Director of many boards, including two within the NHS and the London Development Agency.
I established a consultancy in 1997, which specialised in corporate social responsibility, international development, urban and rural renewal, community development and cohesion. My consultancy assignments took me to several countries around the globe and I was involved in the development of the UN Global Compact. Clients of my consultancy included BP Plc; Allied Domecq Plc; UNDP; Prince of Wales’s International Business Leaders’ Forum; UK Government (various Departments.)
When not writing words, I write and play music. But most importantly, I take satisfaction and pleasure from enabling others to develop their potential and funding initiatives that align with my passions and priorities. These are related to the arts, health, and saving the planet and its creatures from the relentless destruction by humans.
The Tim May Memorial is Kindly administered by Susan Angoy.
Since founding the Tryson Collection in 2008, Sonia has dedicated her life to discovering talent, nurturing creativity, and curating excellence from Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, the UK, the US, Spain, and beyond. Her collection has been featured in some of the world’s biggest museums including the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, and the Museo Novecento in Florence.
As an art advisor for Art Belina in China and The Althari Group in Saudi Arabia, her commitment to cultivating the Kingdom’s art scene has captured acclaim in GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Women’s Herald, L’Officiel, and others.
is a premium Prosecco Superiore DOCG from Italy, known for being a ‘Millesimato’ (single vintage), delivering a pure, intense fruity bouquet with notes of golden apples and florals, a fine fizz, and a dry, fresh, well-balanced taste with a memorable finish, often praised for its quality-price ratio and use of ancient vines. It’s crafted to offer a modern take on traditional Prosecco, emphasizing fresh, aromatic quality.
Zebra One Gallery, located in Hampstead North London, is known for its vibrant and eclectic collection of contemporary art. The gallery exhibits a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, including paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media. It showcases the work of both established artists and emerging talents, providing a platform for artists to gain exposure and recognition.
We picture Frame as well
The gallery has a strong focus on supporting artists and nurturing their careers. It offers art advisory services, assisting collectors and individuals in building their art collections and finding the perfect pieces for their spaces. The team at Zebra One Gallery has extensive knowledge of the art market and can guide art investment and acquisition.
In addition to its physical space, Zebra One Gallery also has a very strong online presence. It utilises digital platforms to reach a wider audience and promote the artwork it represents. The gallery’s website showcases the current and past exhibitions, allowing art enthusiasts to explore and purchase artwork online.
Zebra One Gallery collaborates with interior designers, architects, and businesses to provide art solutions for various spaces, including residential and commercial projects. The gallery understands the importance of art in enhancing the aesthetic appeal and atmosphere of a space and works closely with clients to curate collections that align with their vision and requirements.
Whether you are an art collector, enthusiast, or just someone looking for unique and inspiring artwork, Zebra One Gallery offers a diverse selection of contemporary pieces that cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences. Its commitment to promoting artists and providing a platform for creativity makes it a notable destination in the London art scene.