The Catlin Art Prize 2015

The annual contemporary Catlin Art Prize is back with a flurry of photography, painting, video and installation by the most exciting British emerging artists around. 

What is the Catlin Art Prize?

For those not familiar with the award, curator Justin Hammond scours the country each year for the best new artists to appear in the Catlin Art Guide and then selects eight artists to exhibit a body of work for the Catlin Art Prize. Last year it was 2007 Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger that selected Neil Raitt's hypnotic landscapes for the final award. With 2015 marking its ninth year, the Catlin Art Prize has become a vital showcase for emerging artists that have just left art school.

The generous level of support given by the Catlin team is also what distinguishes the prize from many other survey shows or competitions around. The artists all receive mentoring and production assistance in order to create ambitious new projects for the exhibition. This year's top prize winner is the incredibly enigmatic and inventive artist Zhu Tian (Royal College of Art), who rose to fame recently for her human hair high heel shoes designed for Elle China. Click here for Culture Whisper's exclusive interview with the next big name in contemporary art. 

Catlin Art Prize 2015 nominations

This year’s finalists also worth a look are rambunctious photographer Jon Baker (Chelsea College of Arts); photographer and installation artist Felicity Hammond (Royal College of Art), deconstructive painter Oliver Hickmet (City & Guilds of London Art School); leafy natural forms artist Nicholas Johnson (Royal College of Art); re-inventor of symbols Paul Schneider (Royal Academy of Arts), story teller in light and sound Lexi Strauss (Royal College of Art) and performance artist Dominic Watson (The Glasgow School of Art).

Founder and curator of the Catlin Art Prize, Justin Hammond has picked an eclectic group to exhibit, and there is a real mix of disciplines and inspirations. The choice of medium is wide ranging, from sculpture, to photography, painting, video, and installation – all used in an interesting and intuitive manner. The artists all break boundaries in their approach to art history or subject matter by looking at modern sexuality, masculinity and femininity, or the way that urban structures and symbols are engrained in our society.

If you are curious about the next generation of Tracey Emins and Damien Hirsts, this contemporary art prize is a great platform for the movers and shakers of tomorrow.