Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023: exhibition

Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing, the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize received 3,000 submissions from 1,450 candidates located across the world for its 2023 edition.

A total of 124 works by 111 drawing practitioners, chosen by two distinguished Selection Panels will be shown in the exhibition:

102 drawings by 96 artists were selected for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 exhibition and awards by Laura Hoptman, Executive Director of The Drawing Center, New York; Dennis Scholl AM, Collector, Arts Patron, President & CEO of Oolite Arts; Barbara Walker MBE RA, British Artist.

The Working Drawing Award, a special category celebrating the role of drawing within architecture, design and making processes, was selected by Ben Heath, Principal, Grimshaw Architects; Debbie Hillyerd, Senior Director of Learning, Hauser & Wirth; and Michael Pavelka, Costume & Set Designer for Stage, Dance, and Opera. 22 works by 17 practitioners will be shown within this specific display, and be eligible for a prize worth £2,000.

The drawings selected for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 exhibition reflect a broad scope of contemporary drawing practice
- including works on paper, textiles and other supports as well as moving image - by drawing practitioners at all stages of their careers – living and working across the UK and internationally.

As the exhibition opened its doors with a Launch and Awards Announcement on Thursday 28 September 2023, at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London, the five award winners, collectively receiving £27,000, were revealed:

• First Prize of £8,000: Jeanette Barnes, New Battersea Tube Station & Developments, 2023, Compressed charcoal on paper, 150 x 213cm.
• Second Prize of £5,000: Victoria Hunter McKenzie, Tasha brought us Guinneps, 2022, charcoal, graphite on paper, 41 x 30.5cm.
• Student Award of £2,000: Peter Blodau, El Kobri Maadi, 2023, charcoal on paper, 60 x 40cm.
• Working Drawing Award of £2,000: Ade Olaosebikan, Reconstituted planes - The Barcelona Pavilion Reimagined 1 and 2, 2023, a digital drawing, 59 x 42cm, and a drawing made with a technical pencil on tracing paper, 84 x 59cm.
• Evelyn Williams Drawing Award of £10,000 and solo exhibition at Hastings Contemporary: Isabel Rock for her exhibition proposal to be developed from her drawing Our Cell, 2022, biro on paper, 43 x 53cm.

A fully illustrated publication, education pack and public engagement programme will accompany the exhibition and tour.

The 102 drawings shortlisted for Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 are by:

Samuel Owusu Achiaw / Margrét Adolfsdóttir / Elisa Alaluusua / Judith Alder / Thomas Allen / Iain Andrews / Judith Anketell / Brigitte Bailey / Andy Bannister / Matt Bannister / Amélie Barnathan / Jeanette Barnes / Adrian Baynes / Cai Arfon Bellis / Akash Bhatt / Peter Blodau / Kirsty Bogle / Jesús Briceño Reyes / Ann Bridges / Caroline Burraway / Ian Chamberlain / Dongwei (Shirley) Chen / Jade Chorkularb / Gary Clough / Anthony Connolly / Hannah Davies / Matthew Draper / Nisha Duggal / Sarah Duyshart / Roy Eastland / Linda Fardoe / Katy Fiszman / Edo Fuijkschot / Stefan Gant / Joy Gerrard / Diane Goring / Nick Grellier / Elaine Griffin / Susie Hamilton / Georgia Kitty Harris / Harriet Mena Hill / Fiona Hingston / Avis Hsinyu / Victoria Hunter McKenzie / Ben Johnson / Sharon Kelly / Simon Klein / Sarah Knill-Jones / Jane Laborie / Gary Lawrence / Debbie Lee / Bridget Lesly / Melissa Ling / Saloni Lodha / Derek Lomas / Emily Lucas / Richard Maguire / Tanaka Mazivanhanga / Nicolette McGuire / Grace McMurray / Richard McVetis / June Nelson / Rufus Newell / Tony Noble / Simon Page / Alex Pascual / Raksha Patel / Anna Plavinskaya / Julia Polonski / Sandra Porter / James Pyman / Richard Mark Rawlins / Maaike Reimert / Giulia Ricci / Isabel Rock / Nicki Rolls / Sara Rossberg / Heike Scharrer / Gail Seres-Woolfson / Mark Shields / Katy Shepherd / Karen Smith / Lisa Solovieva / Nancy Spain / Robert Strange / Fiona Swapp / David Symonds / Gabriela Vargas Telaya / Richa Vora / Kate Walters / Emmy Wan / Aleksandra Warchol / Louise Ward / Teresa Whitfield / Hannah Winkelbauer / Caroline Wong

The 22 drawings shortlisted for the Working Drawing Award 2023 are by:

Michael Becker / Daniele Catalli / Sara Choudhrey / Greg Creek / Agata di Masternak / Emma Douglas / Sarah Duyshart / Lisa-Marie Gibbs / Altea Grau Vidal / Nina Gross / Vladimir Guculak / Sandy Horsley / Ben Johnson / Joanna Leah / Emily Mc Gardle / Ade Olaosebiakn / Yaren Yildiz

The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize has an established reputation as the UK’s most important annual open exhibition for drawing.

Founded in 1994 by artist and Professor, Anita Taylor, Dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, the annual Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize celebrates talent and excellence in current drawing practice.

The exhibition provides an important platform for artists, designers, makers and other drawing practitioners as a catalyst within their careers, and champions the role, breadth, and value of drawing in creative practice today.

The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize is supported by the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust, and 2023 marks the 6th year of their generous support for the annual open exhibition.

Main image credit: Raksha Patel, Shift Sleep, shortlisted for Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023