Zihan He announced as a winner of the National Gallery of Ireland’s AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024. Exhibition runs until March 9.
By Brian Bowe
Congratulations to Zihan He! The fifteen-year-old artist from Ballsbridge was announced as the winner of the AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024 (in the category for ages 12-15) at a prize-giving ceremony in the National Gallery of Ireland last November for her spectacular portrait of her mother.
On the award-winning work, titled My Mother, Ms. He said: “This painting explores motherhood through a personal lens. I used a range of different colours and textures to highlight the different layers to my mother. I added warm fiery oranges on her face to show her warmth and courage. This is further reflected on the background, where bright orange tones peek through a muted blue, symbolising the tenderness beneath her tough exterior. I believe I have captured my mom’s strong and thoughtful character.”
Sixteen-year-old Aoibhe Devereux from Waterford was announced as the overall winner of the AIB Young Portrait Prize, for her painting Tumtha (Immersed). “This is a portrait of my youngest brother on holidays.” Devereux said: “I wanted to immortalise this moment of him in the pool with the rainbows dancing on his skin, to capture his joy and youthfulness.”
The AIB Young Portrait Prize, now in its sixth year, showcases the artistic talent of young people from across Ireland. Winners are selected from a shortlist of hundreds of entries from people aged three to eighteen and receive a personalised box of art materials alongside a cash prize. Additionally, all twenty finalists will have their artworks professionally framed or prepared for display. This year’s AIB Young Portrait Prize judges were: Ashwin Chacko, author-illustrator and motivational speaker, Emmalene Blake, a visual street artist, renowned for their large-scale portraits, and Sheena Barrett, Head of Research and Learning at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Elsewhere, Amanda Dunsmore, an artist whose research-intensive practice investigates societal transformation, was announced as the winner of the main competition (for artists 19 years of age or over) for her video portrait of transgender rights activist Dr Lydia Foy. Along with a €15,000 prize, Dunsmore will also receive a €5,000 commission to create a new work for the National Portrait Collection. This year’s panel of judges comprised Hughie O’Donoghue, artist, painter and writer. Emer McGarry, Director of The Model, Sligo, and Simon O’Connor, Director of the Museum of Literature Ireland.
Speaking on her piece, Ms Dunsmore said: “In 1993, Dr Lydia Foy applied to Ireland’s Office of the Registrar General for a new birth certificate to reflect her gender. She was refused. Dr Foy undertook an arduous 22-year legal battle with the Irish State. Ireland’s Gender Recognition Act was passed on July 15th, 2015 and Lydia became the first person to be legally recognised by this Act. Lydia is also in the Guinness World Records for growing the tallest foxglove, 3.29 metres, and her portrait was filmed in her garden.”
The Dublin artist was selected from a shortlist of 26 artists. Exhibitions of the shortlisted works from both competitions run at the National Gallery of Ireland from 9 November 2024 – 9 March 2025. These works include painting, drawing, sculpture, video and photography.
The aim of the AIB Portrait Prize is to foster an interest in contemporary portraiture amongst artists and art lovers alike, while adding to the National Portrait Collection at the National Gallery of Ireland.
My favourite piece in recent memory was that of David Stephenson, a fine art photographer and film-maker from Dublin, who was selected as the 2023 winner for his exquisite photograph, Ann and Ollie, Main Street, Wexford. Works catching my eye this year, which you’ll have to keep an eye out for when you visit the gallery include Robert Jackson’s Beth in Low Light, painted on roughened brass plate, and Philip Thomas Crean’s self-portrait 64, comprising six black and white images stacked into a column from head to knees.
“We are proud to be working with AIB on the annual AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize,” said Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. With the two Prizes, we showcase the work of Irish portrait artists of all ages and encourage an interest in contemporary portraiture across the island of Ireland. The artists shortlisted for the 2024 prize demonstrate an incredible breadth of Irish artistic talent.”
Congratulations again to Zihan He and to all the other category winners and shortlisted artists, too! Full youth category winners:
- Age 6 and under: Allanah McDonald Brown (age 5), Allanah The Mermaid
- Age 7-11: Conor Mooney (age 11), My Best Friend
- Age 12-15: Zihan He (age 15), My Mother
- Age 16-18: Julia Kardas (age 18), Dawn in Molten Blue
See the exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland until 9 March 2025. Admission free.
