Chi Cheng wins Painter Stainer Scholarship

How would a £10,000 scholarship change your art practice? We talk to fine art student Chi Cheng, winner of the 2019 Painter Stainers Scholarship, about receiving the prize and how it silenced voices of doubt.

As a student there are many challenges that come with the terrain of developing one’s practice – one of the biggest being the inner critic. For Chi Cheng the inner critic was silenced with the acknowledgment that his work was deserving of a winner.

Chi was in his first year of study at Chelsea College of Arts studying fine art when he was encouraged to enter the competition. His work was longlisted from more than ten entries with four in the final shortlist.

Making the decision were Ian Rowley, Ken Howard and Ben Sullivan of The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers. They deliberated over the finalist saying it was a real challenge to choose the overall winner.

Chi will receive his £10,000 scholarship over the next two years of study here at Chelsea, and said it will have a huge impact on his work, confidence and financial worries.

Chi said: “The meaning of winning the prize is not only about how it provides a great relief for emerging artists to sustain their practice, but more of how it provides a tremendous encouragement on a spiritual level which sweeps away thousands of voices of self-pressure & self-denial. It has become another voice telling you that the correct path is right ahead, just keep heading and you will reach it.”

The Worshipful Company of Painters-Stainers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, an organization which began as a trade association of painters and has been existence as early as 1268.

Today it is a charitable company which supports art schools and universities in the UK and provides its members with a network of colleagues who are all recognized as being foremost in their field.

Find out more about studying BA Fine Art at Chelsea.