Young Masters Art Prize 2014: Juergen Wolf and Matt Smith named winners
German artist Wolf impressed judges with his ironic looks at icons and taboos
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.German artist Juergen Wolf has been announced as the winner of this year's Young Masters Art Prize, taking home the £1,500 prize.
The prestigious award was presented at Sphinx Fine Art in London's West End this evening by Charles Saumarez Smith, chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Wolf was chosen from a shortlist of 30 international artists for his ironic painted takes on icons, taboos and the menaces of the civilised world.
"I was very impressed by the quality of the entries to the prize as a whole, greatly enjoyed the process of selection of the winners and found it interestingly difficult to pick the best," Saumarez Smith said.
"But, in the end, there was a unanimous decision."
Saskia Boelsums and Marwane Pallas were highly commended and awarded an Artist's Collecting Society Prize of £500 for combining innovative skill with an awareness of art history.
The three winning artists will exhibit their work abroad as part of the 2015 Young Masters International Tour.
Elsewhere, British artist Matt Smith was awarded the inaugural Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize for his awareness of the craft’s heritage and his "exceptional command of ceramics".
Smith also received £1,500 from an expert panel of judges, with Korean artist Jongjin Park and Israeli artist Zemer Peled both highly commended.
"We were looking for a young artist who successfully mixed the aesthetic and techniques of the past to re-invent a modern and vibrant work of art," Maylis Grand said.
"Matt Smith succeeded in creating several original pieces, which fitted the brief perfectly."
Shortlisted Young Masters artists, selected from more than 300 applicants, are showcasing their work in two London exhibitions at Sphinx Fine Art and Lloyds Club until 31 October and 5 December respectively.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments