Lewis Hazelwood-Horner has been announced as winner of the 2016 Columbia Threadneedle Prize, Europe’s leading open competition for figurative and representational art. Lewis receives a cash prize of £20,000 and a solo exhibition for a wider body of his work at Mall Galleries later this year.
His work, Salt in Tea, was painted following a two year residency at the bespoke umbrella shop James Smith & Sons in London’s West End. The title refers to when the craftsmen jokingly put salt or too much sugar in one another’s tea. Hazelwood-Horner attended the Byam Shaw School of Art (2010-11) and the London Atelier for Representation Art (2012-14).
Selection panellist Tim Knox, Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum said, ‘‘This large and confident painting depicts real people with knotty hands and stubbly muzzles immersed in a timeless, archaic trade which hasn’t changed for hundreds of years. This very accomplished painting showcases grandeur, confidence, wit and gritty realism which truly impressed the judges who felt it had an enticing documentary quality.”
Selected from 3,828 entries submitted by 1,973 artists from 29 European countries, the winner was chosen by a panel that included Emma Crichton Miller (journalist), David Dawson (artist, writer and photographer), Dr Arturo Galansino (Director General at Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence), Tim Knox (Director, Fitzwilliam Museum) and Lewis McNaught (Director, Mall Galleries).
Salt in Tea is included in The Columbia Threadneedle Prize exhibition at the Mall Galleries from 3rd to 20th February, along with 93 other selected works. A smaller selection of figurative works by five young Italian artists, specially curated by Dr Arturo Galansino, Director General of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, is exhibited alongside the Prize exhibition. Following this, a selection of works from the Prize exhibition in London will travel to the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence in an unprecedented exchange.
Lewis McNaught, Chair of the Selection Panel and Director of Mall Galleries said, “Visitors will be delighted by the strength and breadth of this year’s selection. The winning painting stood out for the scale of its ambition, while there are other works in the exhibition that push the boundaries of figurative and representational art into new territory. Support for this Prize from artists in the UK and across Europe just gets bigger as submissions get more ambitious.”
Alison Jefferis, Chair of Columbia Threadneedle Foundation s aid: “From its creation in 2008, the Columbia Threadneedle Prize has continued to grow in strength and reputation, and provides a vital forum to showcase work that is shaping the future of art. For more than 10 years, Columbia Threadneedle has been a major supporter of the arts in the UK through partnerships that span visual arts, art as therapy and art based education programmes. We are committed to investing in our community, and are proud our partnership with Mall Galleries continues to provide opportunities for practising artists.”
Visitors to the London exhibition are invited to vote for The Visitors’ Choice Award, a further prize worth £10,000 to the winning artist which will be announced once the exhibition closes.
The Columbia Threadneedle Prize is supported by Columbia Threadneedle Foundation, the charitable foundation of global investment manager Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Columbia Threadneedle has funded the Prize since its inception, demonstrating the firm’s longterm commitment to supporting the arts.
For more information, please visit w ww.columbiathreadneedleprize.com
