Discover some of the most exciting emerging artists in the South East with this year’s Platform Graduate Award exhibitions.
The Platform Graduate Award celebrates new artistic talent from across the South East, with exhibitions across five regional galleries, including Modern Art Oxford. Over three consecutive solo exhibitions at Modern Art Oxford, explore work by graduate artists Helen Kohl (Oxford Brookes University), George Marrington (University of Reading) and Sarah Catterall (Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford). Find out more about the artists below.
Helen Kohl: Untitled (Elements of the Intimacene) + Untitled (The Heir of the Sea)(Oxford Brookes University) | 21 September – 1 October
Helen Kohl’s practice centres around poetic observations of life through tactile and emotional thinking. Her recent work delves into the essence of belonging, fostering what she terms the Intimacene – a realm prioritising intimacy and tranquillity amid the complexities of contemporary life.
George Marrington: Washed Up (University of Reading) | 5 – 15 October
George Marrington constructs paintings from an archive of images captured by himself and those close to him. His particular focus is on exploring the diverse materiality of oil paint. Images used are translated from reference into a new medium, exploring themes of adolescence and uncertainty.
Sarah Catterall: Assorted Moments (Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford) | 19 – 29 October
Sarah Catterall is an artist and filmmaker from Sheffield (UK) and Seattle, WA (USA). Curiosity drives their intuition as they work with different materials, mediums, sites and collaborators. They gather the assorted moments from the past to the present. Assorted as in varied and conflated, yet co-existing and wonderfully complex. They concern themselves with these layers as they drape and bundle and play. Listen! The fragments speak amongst themselves –
The Platform Graduate Award is an initiative to support emerging graduate artistic talent to further their practice following graduation. Established in 2012, the award includes a £2,000 bursary and 12 months of mentoring support, and is awarded to an outstanding graduate from one of the several participating regional higher education partners.
The initiative is led by CVAN South East (Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East) and is currently a partnership between five galleries: Aspex in Portsmouth, Modern Art Oxford, Phoenix in Brighton, MIRROR at Arts University Plymouth and Turner Contemporary in Margate. Following an exhibition and events programme across the participating galleries, an artist from each gallery is nominated for the award.
