BATSFORD PRIZE
The Batsford Prize 2023
We’re very excited to present the winners and runners up of the Batsford Prize 2023 (Theme: At Peace)!
The five winners and eight runners up of this year’s award were announced at an awards event celebrating the shortlist at the newly opened Batsford Gallery.
For the first time in the Batsford’s Prize ten-year history, the 28 shortlisted entries were also celebrated in an exhibition, which is open until Sunday 28th May.
In his opening speech, Vaughan Grylls, Batsford Chairman and one of the award’s judges, commended all the shortlisted entries, something that was echoed by the judges throughout the awards presentation.
The winning entries were ‘Tranquil Japan’ by Pia Elliot (Applied Arts & Textiles), ‘Mattress’ by Alivia Hoy (Fine Art), ‘Tribe’ by Megan Du (Illustration), ‘How to Catch an Idea’ by Forest Xiao. The winners each received a £300 cash prize, £100 worth of Batsford books and £300 worth of books for their college. In addition, ‘Icarus from Underground’ by Ziyi Wang won £100 cash and £50 worth of books in the Chairman’s Award, a special award for this year.
Alivia Hoy’s ‘Mattress’ was crowned the overall winner across the categories, which was awarded with an additional £300 cash prize. About her work, Vaughan Grylls said:
‘Not only was it a striking piece of work, it also said something about being at peace, which was our theme this year, and it was also very touching’.
The Batsford Prize 2023 was judged by industry professionals Gemma Doyle, Neil Dunnicliffe, Frida Green, Hattie Grylls, Vaughan Grylls, Anne Kelly and Sam Peet.
The full list of the winners and runners up of the Batsford Prize 2023:
Winner of the Fine Art Category and overall Batsford Prize 2023 winner:
Mattress
Alivia Hoy, Fine Art, Loughborough University
‘Mattress’ is an acrylic painting on a baby’s cot mattress depicting an older man. This work shows a peaceful record of time, reflecting on the moments interacted with the mattress from birth to old age.
FINE ART
Runners up:
Exposure
Rose Willis, Fine Art, Norwich University of the Arts
Exploring emotional intimacy and vulnerability within relationships, particularly intergender relationships. Using nudity as allegory for the feeling of being exposed to another person, capturing a moment within a relationship by using an immediate painting style and raw canvas.
From the Secret Garden
Xinyi Bi, MA Children’s Book Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University
An interactive installation with three levels of space, crafted using pop-up paper art and nylon craftsmanship, and presented in stop-motion animation.
APPLIED ART & TEXTILES
Winner:
Tranquil Japan
Pia Elliot, BA Textiles, Arts University Bournemouth
A compilation stimulated by the harmony found in traditional Japanese tea houses. The collection features a unique take on every perspective of these historical locations using CAD embroidery, print and laser work to bring a sense of tranquillity into a bespoke, interior space.
Runners up:
Mauritian Landscapes
Georgia Dunn, BA Textiles, Arts University Bournemouth
I chose this theme inspired by a recent trip, stimulated by the amazing, contrasting scenery. My aim was to explore the natural tropical environment looking at both foliage and architectural elements, aiming to combine abstract gestural marks with figurative elements.
The Departing Dress
Katerina Knight, Masters in Textiles, Royal College of Art London
A material memoir. An ode to healing. What is it like to be on the edge of life, to be faced with death and come back again? Perhaps you can not come back again, perhaps you can only move forward. Working with organic elements, home grown, locally foraged or collected over time.
ILLUSTRATION
Winner:
Tribe
Megan Du, Illustration and Visual Media, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London
‘Tribe’ is a story dedicated to all women that explores the exploitation of modern women by beauty standards from a patriarchal society.
Runners up:
Crusts
Naomi Tipping, MA Children’s Book Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University
A sequence about escaping the monotony of every day life, and finding peace in feeding the seagulls.
Tiny Town
Becky Steel, BA Illustration, University Of Hertfordshire
Tiny Town is based on my small southern Italian home town Calabritto. Inspired by the picturesque mountainscapes, traditional crafts and family, my vivid memories have been brought to life in a collection of vibrant illustrations and hand made embroideries.
CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
Winner:
How To Catch An Idea
Forest Xiao, MA Children’s Book Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University
This is a story about a girl who travels to look for a world-changing idea. On her journey, she met all kinds of people/nature and they talk about ideas/creativity/inspiration. In the end, she did not find the idea but she is at peace with it and her inner world is transformed.
Runners up:
Shut Down
Becky Colvin, BA Illustration, University of the West of England Bristol
Shut Down is a picture book about grief and a boy who won’t take off his robot costume.
One Fine Day
Justin Worsley, MA Children’s Book Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University
One Fine Day is a fictional picture book about friendship, laughter and forgiveness.
CHAIRMAN’S AWARD WINNER:
Icarus From Underground
Ziyi Wang, MA Fine Art Media, Slade School of Fine Art, University College London
Projecting on folded papers, this video installation documents an attempt to fly paper planes in the underground. Planes are made from protest posters, mimic doves fly in a downward system. It echoes individual political feelings in a Covid-time Chinese transmigrant situation.