The artist Rosso has won the 2016 Emerald prize at the Winter Pride Art Awards. The piece titled, Madame Moustache was overwhelming chosen by the judges. This year’s theme was ‘Line of Beauty’ – exploring sexuality, gender and identity. The result was announced yesterday evening at a packed and buzzing Open View launched by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
Peter Tatchell said “The Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards is an example of how art can help shape people’s attitudes towards the LGBT+ community. Don’t accept the world as it is. Dream about what the world could be – then help make it happen.”
Headline sponsor, Emerald’s CEO Heidi McCormack announced Sicilian artist Rosso as the overall Winner for her painting Madame Moustache and awarded Rosso a trophy and £1,000 Prize Money.
Heidi McCormack said “As Chief Executive of Emerald, I am proud we are supporting this event and am thrilled to announce Rosso as the Winner of the 2016 Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards. Art is such a fundamental part of culture and community, of defining and recording who we are and how we see the world. It is a delight that by supporting the Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards, I am able to combine passion for the arts with passion for equality, both areas are so very important to me.
Simon Tarrant, Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards Director said “The standard for this year’s competition was exceptionally high but the selection panel unanimously chose Rosso’s outstanding painting as the Winner. Inspired by Manet’s Olympia – a “real” woman who, back in 1865, shocked the wider conservative audience with her defying attitude, breaking with a tradition of goddess-like female representations – ‘Madame Moustache’ explores a contemporary idea of beauty that departs from traditional gender classifications”.
The evening included a spell-binding live performance by acclaimed classical trio the Korros Ensemble, who performed music by Argentinian Tango composer Piazzolla, accompanied by Taste of Tango dancers from Debbie Moore’s legendary Pineapple Dance Studios.
Stephen Fry said, “The Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards is a unique opportunity for up-and-coming artists to showcase their creativity at a key LGBT+ artistic and cultural event – creative ventures of this kind are all-important for both the arts and LGBT+ communities.”
The 2016 Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards showcases the work of 30 Exhibitors and 5 Featured Artists at a free public exhibition from 15 – 29 April at the Islington Arts Factory 2 Parkhurst Road, London N7 0SF.
Image: Madame Moustache Oil and human hair on canvas 110 x 130 cm
FINALISTS Included: Nicolas Laborie, Emily Tull, Matthew Stradling, Aleksandra Karpowicz RUNNERS-UP Included: Simon Croft, Antonio De Paquale, The DnA Dee Stanford, Louisa Holecz, Iluá Hauck da Silva, Heather Carol, Red Pig Flower, Holly Brodie, Roxana Halls, INK, Ignacio Miranda, André Azevedo, Nic Humphries
Thion, Conor Collins, Sadie Lee, Jean Kemp, Nicolas Laborie, Charan Singh, Becky Boston, Dew Kim, Azara Meghie, Grammo Suspect
The Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards promotes and supports artists regardless of their sexuality. The selection panel is made up of arts industry professionals, comprising Royal sculptor Frances Segleman, artist and arts promoter Simon Tarrant, Islington Arts Factory Director of Visual Art Eleanor Pearce, freelance art writer and editor Anna McNay and philosopher and writer Daniel Barnes.
LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson gave a poetry recital at the opening of the Exhibition, which also included the work of Featured Artists:
• Bronac McNeill – View From The Bus photo collage taken from an open top bus promoting charity Cancer is a drag at the 2015 Pride in London Parade.
• Jane Moore – Intricate drawings that evoke an inquisitive response from the viewer and allow us to see beauty in perhaps the most unlikely of forms.
• Layers – portrait exhibition celebrating the stages of a woman’s life, which is running concurrently at the Southbank Centre and Women’s Equality Party.
• Stephanie Griffiths – animation questioning how we define beauty and ugliness and who is defining it? Transgenderism is a terminology, which has so many variations.
EXHIBITION DATES
15 – 29 April 2016 (10am – 5pm) Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards – Exhibition Islington Arts Factory 2 Parkhurst Road, London N7 0SF Google map