A four-trait on Leeside
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Mia Buckley’s ‘Tudor’ has been shortlisted for the Zurich Young Portrait Prize at the National Gallery.Image 2 of 2
Mollie Douthit's 'Life in lockdown part IV: Laying on my kitchen floor with lavender eye mask to stave off a migraine, Oil on linen panel' is through to the final shortlist of the Zurich Portrait Prize.Four Cork artists have been shortlisted for this year’s Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize.
The prestigious competitions, both of which offer cash prizes, are run by the National Gallery of Ireland and are each judged by an expert panel of artists, critics, curators and professors.
Cork’s Emily O’Flynn and Mollie Douthit have been shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize for their pandemic-inspired artworks, while Mia Buckley (17) and Niamh Brady (18) have been shortlisted for the Zurich Young Portrait Prize.
All artists shortlisted for both competitions were selected from hundreds of entries from artists all over the island of Ireland.
The winner of the Zurich Portrait Prize will receive a cash prize of €15,000 and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection, for which they will be awarded a further €5,000.
The Zurich Young Portrait Prize, which is returning for its third year, will have five winners, one from each category, who will each receive an art box and a cash prize.
Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said this year has produced a terrific selection of works across the board.
“Our aim is to encourage interest in and excitement about contemporary portraiture, and we’re thrilled to have Zurich partnering with us once again as we do so.
“We look forward to the exhibitions later this year at the gallery and next year in Crawford Art Gallery in Cork,” he said.
Exhibitions of shortlisted works in both competitions will run at the National Gallery of Ireland between 13 November 2021 and 3 April 2022.