Cork’s
Crawford Art Gallery
C
ork’s Crawford Art Gallery is hosting the Zurich Portrait Prize 2019 exhibition, in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland. Sponsored by Zurich Insurance, this is the first time the exhibition will travel outside of Dublin, with the goal of creating a greater awareness of the national talent on display. The showing will feature the competition shortlist as chosen by an esteemed judging panel. Enda Bowe’s photo ‘Cybil McCaddy with Daughter Lulu’ was 2019’s overall winner of the prize. He is an Irish artist who lives and works in London. His work is concerned with storytelling and the search for light and beauty in the ordinary. For the first time ever in 2019, meanwhile, a special competition for younger artists – the Zurich Young Portrait Prize – was introduced. The shortlisted works from creatives
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TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY 2020
between the ages of 3 and 18, will be on display with the main prize exhibition in Crawford Art Gallery’s historic Gibson Galleries from February 1 until April 13. This is after a public preview on January 31 at 5pm. The first winner of the Zurich Young Portrait Prize is the photograph “The new age” by Mabel Forsyth and Mary O’Carroll. The 12-year-old cousins from Dublin said in a statement, “This photo, which was a joint effort, is meant to show that most people have both good qualities and bad qualities.” “Crawford Art Gallery is delighted to partner for the first time with the National Gallery of Ireland on the hugely anticipated Zurich Portrait Prize exhibition,” said Mary McCarthy, Director of Crawford Art Gallery, in a statement. “Annually the exhibition and prize-giving generates excitement and presents audiences with fresh perspectives on portraiture. We believe it will enable our
© Mabel Forsyth & Mary O’Carroll, The New Age Winner of the Zurich Young Portrait Prize 2019
© Enda Bowe, Cybil McCaddy with Daughter Lulu (2018) Overall winner of the Zurich Portrait Prize 2019
to Host Some Perfect Portraits
audiences to make connections with our wider collection and supports our deeper ongoing collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland.” Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, added: “As the National Gallery of Ireland continues to grow its national footprint, we’re thrilled to bring the Zurich Portrait Prize to Cork. Showcasing portraiture to new audiences at Crawford Art Gallery is a wonderful development for the competition.” The 26 works shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize are said to demonstrate the exceptional breadth of contemporary portraiture in Ireland and reflect the huge interest in image and identity. According to the galleries, the artists have embraced a wide variety of media, from painting and photography to video and mixed media, making for an exciting, sometimes unexpected experience for visitors. Their second year sponsoring the prize, Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich
