Winners announced for major Sussex lockdown art competition

The winners have been announced in a major lockdown art competition which drew entries from across Sussex and beyond.
1st prize - Love in the time of Covid-19 by Sara O’Rourke1st prize - Love in the time of Covid-19 by Sara O’Rourke
1st prize - Love in the time of Covid-19 by Sara O’Rourke

Sophie Hull, chairman of Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery, said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce the winners of Oxmarket Gallery’s Knockout Lockdown Competition.

“We received over 90 fabulous entrants and everyone was a winner in their own right. The range of mediums used was fabulous with oils, acrylics, ceramics and jewellery.

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“The first prize goes to Sara O’Rourke with a black and grey ink Love In The Time Of COVID-19. This is an abstract picture which on closer inspection has two figures coming through. It’s a harmonic composition and a visually striking and sustaining image.

“Second prize goes to Maureen Brigden with her ceramic Reaching Out. At first we think it is just a sphere. Then on closer inspection it’s twisted – the world (pandemic) out of it usual orbit. It combines being grim and happy with the figures looking out and having hope.

“Third prize goes to Jen Nolan with mixed media on paper Self Portrait with Butterflies. This shows the angst with excellent expressionist execution which swayed the judges given the quality of the entries and just had the edge.

“Highly commended was Judith Martin-Gould mixed media Abstract20. It is quite different from the winners and has great depth and subtlety with layers of meaning. With attractive mark making and subtlety what it is is not obvious and makes the viewer ask what is going on. Why is the bird flying out?

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“The Under 12-prize went to Isabelle Tonks’ The Rainbow Tree. The tree has the colours of the rainbow strikingly used and a record or reminder of all the rainbows in windows around the country we’ve seen supporting our many carers.

“Also highly commended went to Mookda Bell’s Lockdown Garden, Dennis Mossman’s Girl in Red and Sally Knight’s COVID Concerns.

“We’ve had many visitors and purchases of the art. The Knockout Lockdown Art exhibition is open until August 23. Artists are mostly donating the proceeds of their work to Love your Hospital – the dedicated charity of Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Oxmarket’s Refresh campaign to improve facilities for artists in the gallery.”

Sophie added: “The directors want to sincerely thank all the entrants for participating in this competition. Works entered were to reflect experiences of lockdown and what it meant to them and we certainly had a knockout range from award-winning artists to amateurs. We are so pleased with the exhibition we are considering another next year and are so very grateful to the judges and entrants. Thank you again.”

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