Aspiring artists exhibition launched

Gallery to show selected works chosen from around the world.

Following its success in the last two years the UK’s leading fine art publisher, Washington Green, is to launch its Summer Exhibition 2017 in Birmingham this month.

The exhibition will take place from Saturday 29th July to Sunday 27th August at Castle Fine Art in the prestigious International Convention Centre and will feature work from eleven contemporary artists.

East artist was carefully selected to exhibit in the show following a call for innovative visual artists to submit their work to a panel of art reviewers. The shortlisted submissions span a range of mediums, genres and subject matters and will be brought together into one beautifully-curated display where they will sit alongside the work of established artists.

From Turkish artist Evrim Erdogan’s abstract works and French painter Pascale Taurua’s fashion portraits to London mixed media artist Michael Olsen’s ‘butterfly boxes’, the successful applicants hail from all around the globe and cover the entire artistic spectrum.

Those featured in the exhibition are in with the chance of securing a publishing contract with Washington Green. If successful, they will join the ranks of the art scene elite with Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood and Raphael Mazzucco – just some of the names represented by the company.

Glyn Washington, founder and creative director of Washington Green Fine Art, said: “Our Summer Exhibition is an opportunity for artists, who otherwise may not get the chance to publicly exhibit, to showcase their work in front of a wider audience.

“Our last two events attracted some of the finest talent working in contemporary art, so this year’s exhibition has a lot to live up to. Through a rigorous selection process we have put together a fantastic line up, and I’m confident that the Summer Exhibition 2017 could be our best yet.”

Last year, 50-year-old artist Nigel Humphries went on to launch a publishing career with Washington Green after winning the People’s Choice Award at the Summer Exhibition 2016 and has since gained an unprecedented number of keen collectors. He commented: “Having my work displayed at the 2016 Summer Exhibition was, in itself, an experience that I will never forget, but I could never have foreseen that I would then be offered a publishing agreement with Washington Green.

“Entering the competition has enabled me to take my art career to new heights, and I would encourage any aspiring artists wanting to pursue their passion to do the same in the future.”

Washington Green’s Summer Exhibition 2017 will take place at Castle Fine Art, ICC, Broad Street, B1 2EA. For more information visit www.castlegalleries.com

The full list of artists taking part are:

● Agnetha Sjogren, London – Agnetha is a Swedish artist who has been based in London for more than 15 years. She creates unique hand-crafted dog sculptures using first edition vintage comic books and bespoke fabric.
● Alli Mackay, 46, Glasgow – Alli is a Glasgow-based artist known for her semi abstract, highly expressive paintings which aim to capture the beauty that can be found in everyday interactions.

● Michael Olsen, 72, London – With a strong connection to wildlife, Michael creates realistic butterfly art out of feathers, which are hand painted and positioned in acrylic display boxes.

● Mark Sermon, 47, Peeblesshire – Mark is a mixed media artist who paints landscapes in acrylic with an emphasis on texture.

● Kirsty Stutter, 40, Suffolk – Kirsty creates three-dimensional sculptural images with built in layers using textured fabrics, such as cow suede, wood veneers and collaged papers. Her work combines multiple disciplines, from portraiture and figure drawing, to painting, collage and printing.

● Lucy Fiona Morrison, 29, Walsall – In her gestural and expressive paintings Morrison explores colour, texture and form to depict British landscapes. The work features her own oil paint made with raw pigments giving a brilliant, intense depth of colour.

● Matthew Hampshire, 46, Lincolnshire – A self-taught photographer, Matthew travels all over Europe seeking out the abandoned and decaying buildings that inspire his work, and through his images he aims to capture the story behind each subject.

● Pascale Taurua, 56, France – Pascale creates realistic fashion portraits inspired by photographs from magazines, which depict women of the 21st century and the empowering ability of clothing in expressing one’s self.

● Evrim Erdogan, 27, Turkey – An abstract, expressionist painter, Evrim’s work is heavily influenced by the force of the emotions she feels in the moment. Going with the flow and not following a rigid structure, the outcome of every piece comes as a surprise.

● Liene Lipiena, 38, Latvia – Liene’s painting style was established when she had the opportunity to forge masterpieces at the Latvian National Museum of Art. Her oil paintings are inspired by wildlife, trees and flowers.

● Loes Van Delft, 26, The Netherlands – Inspired by the great pop and street artists, Loes’ paintings have an urban feel and each features her very own recognisable character, Pjipje, in a range of interesting scenarios.