WALES CONTEMPORARY 2025

Graham Sutherland Prize (£3,000):

• Dana Finch for her painting, Swoop

Two-dimensional prizes:

• 1st Prize (£2,000): Ley Roberts, Somewhere Else
• 2nd Prize (£1,000): Shilpa Agashe, Camellias on a Winter Walk
• 3rd Prize (£500): Kurt Buckley, Amorcito

Three-dimensional prizes:

• 1st Prize (£2,000): Pamela Jones, Marie Antoinette-Plat Du Jour Pouf
• 2nd Prize (£1,000): Ruth Sargeant, Confection 2
• 3rd Prize (£500): Becky Moon, Nebulous

Welsh Prize:

• 1st Prize (£2,000): John Cahill, North Pembrokeshire Landscape
• 2nd Prize (£1,000): Tim Arthur, Cardiff Nights

Public Choice prizes:

• London Prize: £1,000
  Prize shared by Melody Reynolds – Polzeath Beach and Bob Evans – In Search of Dylans Past

• Milford Haven Prize: £1,000

Key dates:

• Exhibition private view by invitation at the Garrison Chapel Chelsea: Monday 24th February. Opens 3.30pm. Prize giving 5.30pm Closes 7.30pm

• Exhibition open to the public: from Tuesday 25th February daily* from 11am- 6pm until Sunday 9th March at 4.30

• Exhibition opens at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven: Friday March 21st 2025 from 2pm.

• Exhibition closes at the Waterfront Gallery: Join us for a celebration at 2pm and the announcement of the public choice award at 4.30pm.

Developed in 2019 by the Waterfront Gallery with the support of the Welsh Government and the Port of Milford Haven, and now in its fifth instalment, Wales Contemporary gives artists the opportunity to show their work in central London and Milford Haven, Wales, and receive prizes totalling £15,000.

Shortlisted works will be shown in the Wales Contemporary exhibition, at The Garrison Chapel, Chelsea Barracks in Central London and at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, Wales. A total of £15,000 is awarded to selected artists, including the Graham Sutherland Prize, a top prize of £3,000.

• Ian ‘H’ Watkins, performer and artist: Ian ‘H’ Watkins, known as H from the British pop group ‘Steps’, is also an accomplished painter. Originally from the Rhondda, South Wales, Ian was set to study at Cardiff Art School before joining Steps in 1997. Inspired by landscapes, his paintings are now showcased in multiple galleries across the UK.  

• Kelvin Okafor, artist: Kelvin Okafor is a Fine Art graduate from Middlesex University, celebrated for his hyper-realistic pencil drawings. With an extensive portfolio and social media presence, Kelvin’s art has been widely recognised, including appearances on BBC London. His meticulous attention to tone and texture continues to impress art communities across the UK. 

• Katherine Jones RA, artist: Katherine Jones, based in South London, is an award-winning printmaker and painter. She holds a BA from Cambridge School of Art and an MA from Camberwell College of Art, and lectures at Middlesex University. Her multi-layered prints, blending hyper-real and folkloric themes, are part of international collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and Yale University. 

For press enquiries, please contact Marine Costello at Parker Harris:
T: 020 3653 0891
E: marine@parkerharris.co.uk

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For all other enquiries, please contact Parker Harris:
T: 020 3653 0896
E: info@parkerharris.co.uk

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Notes to Editors

The Waterfront Gallery

Housed in the Old Sail Loft at Milford Docks on the Haven Waterway in Pembrokeshire, the Waterfront Gallery is one of south west Wales’ leading art galleries, showing Fine Art paintings in watercolour, oil, acrylic and mixed media, alongside drawings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, wood & metal work, textiles, glasswork and jewellery. The unique 3,000 square foot gallery space showcases the work of some 50 local artists and craft workers with 6 changing exhibitions throughout the year; work by resident exhibitors is displayed throughout the year. The Waterfront gallery is a registered charity, and not-for-profit company, dedicated to promoting and supporting resident artists, visiting artists, and emerging talent, in South West Wales.

www.thewaterfrontgallery.co.uk

The Garrison Chapel, Chelsea Barracks

At the heart of London’s Chelsea Barracks development, nestled just behind the creatively vibrant Pimlico Road, sits The Garrison Chapel; the last remaining building of the original 19th-Century complex. The King’s Foundation occupies the Grade II-listed Garrison Chapel in the former Chelsea Barracks, to publicly exhibit elements of The Foundation’s work. Exhibitions have a particular emphasis on traditional arts and heritage craft skills, in addition to a number of special exhibitions and events. The chapel hosts a range of events, classes and functions, widely accessible for all to encourage connectivity in the community - ensuring that the Chapel continues to play a pivotal role in the neighbourhood and beyond.

https://www.chelseabarracks.com/visit/garrison-chapel

Parker Harris

Emma Parker and Penny Harris created Parker Harris in 1990. Their partnership is now one of the leading visual arts consultancies in the UK. A small dynamic team, they pride themselves in expert creation and project management of visual arts projects spanning all disciplines and all scales. Their clients range from trusts and foundations, SMEs and multinationals to charities, arts organisations and individual artists.

www.parkerharris.co.uk

Port of Milford Haven

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port handling around 20% of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas. It is widely recognised in the industry as the energy capital of the UK. The Port, along with the cluster of energy-related businesses along the Waterway, is a key driver of economic activity in Pembrokeshire, attracting inward investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs.

www.mhpa.co.uk