BP Portrait Award 2008
Past national and international programme archive
12 June - 14 September 2008
The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, promoting the very best in contemporary portrait painting. An annual competition aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop the theme of portraiture in their work, the Award is open to everyone aged 18 and over in recognition of the outstanding and innovative work currently being produced by artists of all ages. With a first-prize of £25,000 the exhibition has proved the launch pad for the careers of a number of successful portrait artists.
As well as a first-prize there are three runner-up prizes, the competition also includes a special prize for entrants under the age of 30, continuing the Award's role as a showcase for young artistic talent. Anyone selected for the exhibition is also eligible to enter for the BP Travel Award.
On Monday 16 June the winner of the BP Portrait Award 2008 was announced by Ian Hislop at the National Portrait Gallery. In a record-breaking year for entries from non-UK artists, the prestigious first prize was won by 35-year-old London artist Craig Wylie. His winning portrait, K (oil on canvas, 2100 x 1650 mm), is an epic study of his girlfriend Katherine Raw based on sittings at his Hackney Wick studio. Craig wins £25,000 and a commission, at the National Portrait Gallery Trustees' discretion, worth £4,000.
The second prize of £8,000 goes to Simon Davis for Portrait of Amanda Smith at Vincent Avenue and the third prize of £6,000 goes to Robert O'Brien for Hannah O'Brien.
There is, also for the second time, a BP Young Artist Award of £5,000 for the work of an entrant aged between 18 and 30. This has been won by Peiyuan Jiang for Untitled.
This year, nearly 1,750 artists from around the world submitted their work and the resulting exhibition presents 55 works.