Finalists announced for 2017 Parkin Drawing Award

Friday 14 July, 2017
Finalists announced for 2017 Parkin Drawing Award

Drawing is certainly alive and well in New Zealand with a high standard of entries received for the 2017 Parkin Drawing Award. The competition attracted an impressive 502 entries, of which 84 have been selected for the short-list*.

The national drawing competition, attracting a major prize of $20,000, was launched by philanthropist and arts patron, Chris Parkin five years ago. Ten highly commended prizes worth $500.00 each will also be awarded to artists as an added incentive.

An advisory panel, consisting of John Gow, Director of Gow Langsford Gallery, Simon Rees, Director of Govett Brewster, arts commentator, historian and writer Warren Feeney and renowned painter Kelcy Taratoa spent hours assessing hundreds of entries before coming up with the short-list.

The shortlisted works will be showcased at the Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts (2 August to 3 September) and the winning submission will be selected and announced by New Zealand artist Seraphine Pick at the opening of the Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition on Tuesday 1 August.

All the artworks will be for sale giving admirers and collectors the opportunity to purchase some wonderful pieces which are unlikely to be seen again, given many of the finalists are not represented in any gallery.

“I’m once again thrilled to see such an enthusiastic response for the fifth year of this competition. I am looking forward to seeing the diverse range of artworks on show at the gallery and getting the drawing conversation going,” said Chris Parkin, founder of the Parkin Drawing Prize.

“This is the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts fifth year working with Chris and the team on the esteemed Parkin Prize and I am sure that the 2017 show will be as dynamic and as challenging as ever, and the Academy wishes every success to the finalists.” said Greg Chaston, President of the NZ Academy of Fine Arts.

Interestingly, there were eight artists short-listed for two pieces of work – the highest number of double-entry shortlisted works ever recorded in the competition. The artists include Krystie Wade and Liam Gerrard from Auckland, Kirsty Lillico, Heather Haywood, Maria OToole and Billy Wilson from the Wellington region, Emma-Kate Moore from Kingston and Ina Johann from Christchurch.

Works in the award exhibition range in size from the small (148 mm x 192 mm) to the very large (4500mm x 1400 mm). Entries have been received from throughout New Zealand from Whangarei to as far south as Dunedin and Kingston in Otago and even a New Zealand artist residing in Berlin, Germany.

There were a range of drawings utilising the expected materials such charcoal, graphite and pencil while other artists have chosen mediums such as ipad’s, mixed media, digital animation and even a carpet installation – leaving the question open as to ‘what is drawing?’.

ENDS

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