Rust-en-Vrede Gallery & Clay Museum
The Junior Portrait Award, open to creatives between the ages of 16 and 18, was originally created by the organisers of the Portrait Award to offer young artists a platform to express themselves and showcase their talent.
After its successful launch in 2023 among high schools in Cape Town, the organisers decided to expand this competition nationwide. Over one hundred entries from talented high school students all over the country were received. The varied styles, techniques and narratives in each portrait showcased the depth of talent in our youth.
Out of the pool of entries, 25 works were selected by the adjudication panel to be exhibited at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in Durbanville as part of the Junior Portrait Award Finalist Exhibition. This panel of adjudicators consisted of curators Hamlin Jansen van Vuuren and Donavan Mynhardt, as well as established artist Jo Roets.
Three prize winners were selected for their prowess in both the artistic rendering and emotional appeal of their portraits. Mairi van Schoor’s painting titled ‘Dissociation’ was identified as the winning entry, followed by Johan Coetzer’s self-portrait titled ‘Ek’ and Aryn Buttress’s ‘Introspection’. These three young artists received art gift packs from Pencafé Durbanville, as well as tailored social media courses with Jo Roets.
Recognizing the extraordinary talent displayed, the judges also decided to award special mentions to five additional artists whose work stood out for its exceptional quality and creativity. These artists include Emma van der Waal (Cape Town), Jaeda Booth (Knysna), Paballo Mamabolo (Johannesburg), Reneilwe Mokgotho (Mbombela) and Thato Mabesa (Durban).
Congratulations to all of the finalists and of course – to each student for taking the chance to enter the competition, whether work was selected or not.
The exhibition can be viewed until 3 August 2024 (13h00).
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