Big Break E
Our search for the Artist of the Year
2012 begins next month but first Martha Alexander catches up with last year’s winners to find out how they’re getting on
very summer for the past four years, we have been inundated with thousands of entries for our Artist of the Year competition. Last
year was no different and after much deliberation among our professional panel, Raoof Haghighi was selected as the overall winner for his thought- provoking portrait, Roya (Hope). As well as having his canvas
professionally framed by FA Pollak Ltd. and taking home £300 worth of Winsor & Newton art materials, the big coup for Raoof was gaining representation from a leading London gallery. Geoffrey Hughes of the Osborne Studio Gallery chose to represent Raoof and began by featuring his work in its Spring Exhibition 2012 – a mixed show of work by professional artists from the gallery’s stable.
ABOVE Artist of the Year 2011 winner Raoof Haghighi BELOW Quantum Contemporary Art’s Johnny Gorman stands by Edward Taylor’s shortlisted painting at the Affordable Art Fair
“We had a lot of interest in the
painting,” says Geoffrey. “We haven’t sold it yet but I’m so glad we had it – it was in the window, and much admired. If you are showing in commercial galleries, it’s very important that you paint something that is saleable – and Raoof’s work is. It’s appealing and attractive.” Raoof will be delivering another
painting to the gallery for the next group show soon and there has been further good news for the artist, too. After featuring at Osborne Studio Gallery, a second gallery – the online-only Gallery Embrace – has contacted Raoof: “He saw my painting in Artists & Illustrators and he wanted to represent my art, which has been wonderful. He loved my paintings and said it was exactly what he was looking for. I am pleased and happy.”
Last year, we were able to offer
gallery representation to a second artist and Quantum Contemporary Art founder Johnny Gorman chose Edward Taylor’s St John’s Gate, Bristol. “Edward’s work is very striking,” says Johnny, who recently took three of the artist’s works to the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. “Unfortunately the works haven’t sold yet, but perhaps it wasn’t the best setting for them. A quieter gallery that has ties to where the landscape was painted might be better than a busy art fair. Inevitably things sell when they are in the right setting.” That first sale might be elusive, but
both Raoof and Edward are now well on their ways to becoming full-time professional artists. Think you’ve got what it takes to be crowned Artist of the Year 2012? Look out for entry forms in our next issue!
46 Artists & Illustrators
PHOTOS: NEIL HALL/STEVE PILL
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