The Refresh Art Award - a fresh new art award

Refresh Art Award is a fresh new art competition giving representation to everyone who enters, initiated by UAL Post-Grad alumni. Shefali Wardel (alumni, MA Drawing, Wimbledon) writes:

"As UAL alumni ourselves, we approached our old university to see what they would think of our initiative with the Refresh Art Award, and we were impressed that they’ve been really supportive.  So much happens when you leave art school, that it really helps to have a network there who don’t forget you. We think that’s valuable and also very much needed in the creative industries, which can be tough if exciting.

We also noticed a couple of great Refresh entries from other people who have studied at UAL colleges over the years, and it’s wonderful to see that not only is the work fabulous but that they have carried on being artists after education.

Amazing painter Lucille Dweck studied at Central Saint Martins and Byam Shaw in the 1980s. We’ve been really impressed by the quality of her work, with it’s personal themes.  While her work reflects her immense skill in the craft of painting, meaning has not been sacrificed and the images all reflect ideas around nature and stillness as well as feeling intimate. She has been regularly exhibiting and is a member of Kindred Studios.

Documentary film maker Fred Fabre creates stunning visual landscapes and hard-hitting paintings. We were awe struck when we saw his first entry called No Future. He studied for an MA in painting at Chelsea College of Art in 2007, and we think his work, which is informed by the catastrophe of climate change and current feminist dialogue is some of the most reflective of the current age that we have seen so far. We also have a very interesting interview with him on our blog page. Fabre is a French-born artist living in London, and reflects the international and borderless ethos behind our award that is global yet based in our amazing international city.