Young Donegal artist PJ Doherty has been shortlisted for the Zurich Young Portrait Prize for his drawing.
PJ (18) is from Letterkenny and his excellent self portrait, ‘Focus’, (main pic), was created using coloured pencils on paper.
“Art has always been my passion and I have been drawing for as long as I can remember,” he told Donegal Daily.
“This is my creative outlet and I hope that art will continue to play a role in my life in the future.”
Drawn with coloured pencils on paper, Focus is a self-portrait.
“While there is a sense of chaos and disorientation conveyed through the vibrant colours and various fragmented layers of faces, the expression is transparent, losing ‘focus’ and drifting elsewhere in a moment of daydream,” he added.
PJ was also crowned overall winner of the 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition in 2021.
PJ Doherty after being crowned overall winner of the 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition in 2021. Photo Clive Wasson / Mac Innes Photography
The Zurich Young Portrait Prize returns for its fourth year in 2022.
Five winners (one from each respective age category and an overall winner) will be selected from a shortlist of hundreds of entries from young people aged 4 to 18, from across the island of Ireland.
Winners will receive a bespoke art box and a cash prize.
The overall competition winner will be awarded a personalised wooden box of high-quality art materials, specific to their choice of material in their portrait, and a cash prize of €500.
All twenty shortlisted entrants will have their artwork professionally framed/prepared.
The competition this year is judged by Janet McLean, curator, National Gallery of Ireland; Nick Roche, comic illustrator; and Una Sealy RHA, artist.
Exhibitions of shortlisted works in both competitions run at the National Gallery of Ireland between the 26th of November 2022 and the 2nd of April 2023. The exhibition will then travel to the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, where it will be displayed between the 3rd of June and the 2nd of September 2023.
Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: “The Gallery is delighted that this exhibition gives many new and returning artists the opportunity to show their work in the National Gallery of Ireland.
“We look forward to the exhibitions later this year at the Gallery and next year in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.”
Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich, said: “We are delighted to see such a strong selection of works once again in this year’s shortlists and very proud to continue our sponsorship of these exciting competitions.”
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