10 Paintings from the Aesthetica Art Prize

10 Paintings from the Aesthetica Art Prize

Celebrating innovative and thought-provoking practice, the Aesthetica Art Prize is an opportunity for wider recognition. We select 10 Painting finalists from previous editions.

1) Stephen Johnston, Limes in Jar

Johnston considers all still life to be concerned with death, and continues this association with his recent pictures of food slowly decaying in glass jars, deconstructed cakes and roadkill.

2) Daniel Mullen, Moment to the Future

Monument to the Future comes from an ongoing series of paintings exploring our perception of reality. It evokes an architectural structure but the transparent quality of the painting alludes to fragility.


3) Peter Davis, Cardboard Reality 1

Exploring our relationships with technology, Peter Davis poses questions about the digital epoch we inhabit and the status of the human being in society today.

4) Frea Buckler, Dazzled

Resembling unfolded boxes or origami creations, Frea Buckler’s one-off works on paper result from an intuitive use of silkscreen techniques, and a spontaneous methodology.

5) Kushna, Society

Drawing on the influence of the Baroque as well as contemporary figures such as Gregory Crewdson, Khushna believes the process of re-realising an already photographed moment leads a distilled vision.

6) Daniel Rich, Amazon Books

The artist collects and appropriates photographs found from the internet and newspapers. The mediated image is then painted in order to invest in the image with the capability to function as a signifier.

7)  Gareth Cadwallader, Sailor Girl II

Inspired by an image of a man transfixed by a tomato, the artist noticed how his absorbed mental state was used as a metaphor for the promise of what’s inside.

8) Anna Coburn, Reflections in Blue

In this painting, Coburn explores the impact of the elements on an abandoned linen mill, with puddled rain reflecting the leaking north lights.

9)  Armando Cabba, Untitled (Self Portrait)

Cabba uses the self-portrait to capture the transience of identity from moment to moment – we can never be the same person twice.

10)  Adva Karni, Chris and Sarit

Inspired by the surrounding environment and individuals, Adva Karni’s painting is figurative, using a variety of techniques and surfaces.

Entries for the Aesthetica Art Prize are currently open. Categories include: Photographic & Digital Art; Three-Dimensional Design & Sculpture; Painting, Drawing & Mixed Media; and Video Installation & Performance. There are two awards for entry: the Main Art Prize and the Emerging Art Prize. Prizes include £5,000, group exhibition and publication in an inspiring anthology.