This year’s Contemporary British Painting Prize has been won by Sussex-based artist Joe Packer. He receives £2,000 in prize money and a critical essay by Matthew Collings, along with an invitation to join the Contemporary British Painting Network.
Packer was chosen from a shortlist of 12 painters during an awards ceremony at Huddersfield Art Gallery, where an exhibition of all the shortlisted paintings – three from each artist – continues until 2 February 2019. It then tours to the Menier Gallery, London.
The jury for the annual prize, which launched in 2016 and is organised by the artist-led organisation Contemporary British Painting, consisted of Matthew Collings (painter, critic and broadcaster), Amisha Karia (head of collection, Paintings in Hospitals) and Grant Scanlan (Huddersfield Museums manager).
Packer is based in St Leonards, east Sussex. He studied painting at Norwich School of Art and has an MA from the Royal College of Art.
He said he was “very pleased and honoured” to be selected for the exhibition which he described as “a really interesting show with some great painting, showing a healthy cross-section of work by painters practicing today”.
He added: “To win it is amazing. It will give me a boost to my practice, both financially and in the validation of what often seems a crazy activity. A big thank you to everyone at Contemporary British Painting, Huddersfield Art Gallery and all involved.”
The 12 shortlisted artists were selected by practising painters Simon Carter, Paula MacArthur, Ruth Philo and 2017 prize winner Narbi Price.
The other shortlisted artists, who each have three paintings featured in the Huddersfield exhibition, are: Keith Ashcroft, Lucy Austin, Benjamin Deakin, Kate Dunn, Jenny Eden, Andrew Ekins, Pippa Gatty, Alison Goodyear, Roland Hicks, Rachel Lancaster, and Jonathan West.
Contemporary British Painting which was founded to promote and explore current trends in British painting, which it does this through its annual prize and exhibition along with talks, publications and the donation of paintings to art museums.
Contemporary British Painting Prize Show 2018 continues at Huddersfield Art Gallery until 2 February 2019. The exhibition will then tour to the Menier Gallery, London, 6-16 February 2019. www.contemporarybritishpainting.com
For more on the prize, www.instagram.com/anartistsinfo
Images:
1. Joe Packer, PitScape, 2017, oil on canvas, 86 x 61cm. Courtesy: the artist and Contemporary British Painting
2. Joe Packer, Darklingthrush Wood II, 2018, oil on canvas, 170 x 154cm. Courtesy: the artist and Contemporary British Painting
3. Joe Packer, Heartland, 2017, oil on canvas, 127 x 86cm. Courtesy: the artist and Contemporary British Painting
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