HIX AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Annie Carpenter

Sep 24, 2019·4 min read

The HIX Award, the art prize set up by the restaurateur and author Mark Hix, is delighted to announce this year’s 15 shortlisted artists:

Alexander Dixon

Alexander Dixon, ‘Matter Diagram’, Steel, wood and sand, 100 x 140 x 50cm, 2019

2. Bianca Barandun

Bianca Barandun, ‘16.01.19 & 12.08.18’, Pigments, spray paint and transfers on jesmonite, 29.7cm x 42cm, 2019

3. Christopher Hartmann

Christopher Hartmann, ‘No Longer Present’, Oil on Canvas, 250 x 200cm, 2019

4. Dafni Atha

Dafni Atha, ‘Lophelia’, Mixed Media, 225 x 145 x 6cm, 2019

5. David Mullen

David Mullen, ‘getting Madder & Madder’, Rose madder, Reseda, indigo, yellow ochre, titanium white and terre verte in oil on linen, 190cm x 145cm, 2019

6. Gabriela Giroletti

Gabriela Giroletti, ‘I’ll tell you things at Random’, Oil on cotton, 160 x 200cm, 2019

The award, which carries a £10,000 first prize to put towards studio costs, is open to current students and recent graduates of UK art colleges. It was created in 2013 by Hix to give young artists a platform to showcase their work and take their first steps in their professional careers. The winner will also receive a solo exhibition at HIX ART, Hix’s Shoreditch gallery.

This year’s main sponsor is the international gallery, Hauser & Wirth. Says its co-founder and President, Iwan Wirth: ‘Our role as gallery is to be an incubator for art, talent and ideas. Artists are at the core of all our activities so we are particularly proud to support the HIX award, an initiative which helps artists at a crucial moment when they are starting out on their journey.’

Says Mark Hix: ‘We were overwhelmed by the applicants this year and it was as hard as ever to narrow the field down to just fifteen.It will be even harder to pick a winner!”

7. Jacob Littlejohn

Jacob Littlejohn, ‘untitled’, oil, handmade paper, collage & mixed media on canvas, 180 x 140 x 5cm, 2019

8. Jung Min Park

Jung Min Park, ‘Unveiling’, Glazed ceramic with sound and plinth, 53 x 48 x 73cm, 2019

9. Lucy Gregory

Lucy Gregory, ‘Applause Machine’, Digital prints on aluminium, steel, fixings and paint, 100 x 120 x 230cm, 2019

10. Megan Mary Baker

Megan Mary Baker, ‘The Night Pill’, Oil on board, 229 x 244cm, 2019

11. Melissa Hartley

Melissa Hartley, ‘Reflection’, Acrylic paint on birch ply, 244 x 438 x 1.2cm, 2019

The winner will be announced on the 24th October at an awards ceremony at the gallery, where they will be presented with a trophy designed by the artist Damien Hirst. The second prize winner will receive £1,000 CASS art vouchers and the People’s Choice winner will get a weekend trip for two to HIX Townhouse in Lyme Regis with a dinner at HIX Oyster & Fish House.

The judges this year include Iwan Wirth, Eliza Bonham-Carter, Head of Art, Royal Academy of Arts, Dylan Jones, GQ editor, Joe Kennedy, Unit Gallery Founder Director and artist Charming Baker.

Past winners of the award include: Nicholas Permain (2013), Felix Treadwell (2014), Ally McIntyre (2015), Joshua Raz (2016), Sam Bailey (2017). Last year’s winner, Elizabeth Eade says: ‘Winning the HIX Award has been amazing. The prize money has allowed me to continue to take adventures with my work, which has been a joy. I have had a busy year exhibiting, preparing for my solo exhibition and finishing my MA at Brighton, this has really focused my practice. It has also given me a confidence in my artistic convictions and I hope that this has translated into my work. I guess I feel braver.’

12. Paul Wood