The Marmite Prize for Painting, named after the French word for a large, covered cooking pot, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with an exhibition at the Block 336 gallery in Brixton, south London.
(Image removed)Ellie, who is studying for an MA in Fine Art at Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge School of Art, impressed the judges of the Marmite Prize, which this year received 1,249 entries.
Originally from Ashford in Kent, the 23-year-old entered a painting called Heart’s Delight (My Grandparents’ House), which is an imagined self-portrait at her grandparents’ house near Folkestone.
Ellie said: “Heart’s Delight is the name of the house that my grandparents built in 1976. The house hasn’t changed at all since then so it’s like a time capsule.
“All the wallpaper, furniture, fixtures and ornaments are the same, but obviously it has become a little tired over the years, so I wanted to get across this feeling of melancholy, but also the absurd.
“Although I’ve put myself in the painting, I often exaggerate my features to make them more androgynous. A lot of my work is autobiographical so I often end up in the image.”
The Marmite Prize is an artist-run, non-profit organisation that celebrates excellence in contemporary painting and the overall winner will receive a sculpture by Alison Wilding RA, which has been donated by the artist.
This year marks the introduction of a Student Prize, which is a residency at Bon Volks studios in Margate and £500 towards travel and expenses.
The winners will be announced during the opening night on Friday 3 June, and the exhibition will run at the Block 336 gallery until 1 July (open Thursday-Saturday, 12-6pm).
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For more press information please contact:
Jon Green on t: 01245 68 4717, e: jon.green@anglia.ac.uk
Jamie Forsyth on t: 01245 68 4716, e: jamie.forsyth@anglia.ac.uk
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