After much anticipation and rigorous deliberation by the jury, we at The Art Fair Guy are thrilled to announce the winners of the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize 2024! These outstanding artists, representing a diverse range of mediums and techniques, captivated the jury with their powerful artworks during the Finalist Exhibition at Bakerhouse Gallery in Graz, Austria. The exhibition, which opened on October 18th, showcased the works of 24 emerging talents from around the globe in four categories: Painting, Drawing, Photography, and Mixed Media.
The event was a resounding success, bringing together art enthusiasts, collectors, and industry professionals. With over 200 visitors on opening night, and several artworks sold within the first hours, the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize continues to affirm its position as a leading platform for showcasing the future stars of the art world.
Now, let’s meet the winners!
Overall Winner & Category Winner Painting – Chris Longridge (United Kingdom)
Artwork: Everything that ever happened is yet to happen
Medium: Oil on canvasboard
Chris Longridge, from Kent, UK, is an artist whose work primarily explores the relationship between traditional oil painting and post-digital environments. His winning piece, inspired by the Old Masters, delves into cosmology, time, and space, offering viewers an enigmatic and cerebral experience. Longridge is no stranger to recognition, having won Jackson’s Painting Prize and featured on Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year. His work invites us to ponder the ineffable, making him a deserving overall winner of the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize 2024.
Discover more about Chris Longridge’s work on his scan.art profile and website.
Category Winner Drawing – Mario Javoran (Croatia)
Artwork: Mediterranean Grandmothers
Medium: Charcoal pencil on paper
Mario Javoran, from Zadar, Croatia, is celebrated for blending classical drawing techniques with conceptual storytelling. His powerful piece Mediterranean Grandmothers depicts an elderly woman in a boat, symbolizing the nurturing strength of Mediterranean grandmothers. Javoran’s work resonates deeply with themes of tradition, spirituality, and human psychology, making him the deserving winner in the Drawing category.
Explore more about Mario Javoran’s work on his scan.art profile.
Category Winner Photography – Elena Paraskeva (Cyprus)
Artwork: A Perfect Life Series
Medium: Photography
Elena Paraskeva, a conceptual photographer from Cyprus, wowed the jury with her bold, surrealistic style. Her winning photograph, part of the cinematic 1960s-styled series, explores the emotional complexities of a seemingly perfect couple hiding deep emotional conflicts. Paraskeva’s unique ability to combine color, storytelling, and powerful visual narratives earned her the top spot in the Photography category.
To view more of Elena Paraskeva’s captivating works,visit her scan.art profile and website.
Category Winner Mixed Media – Eva Samule (Norway)
Artwork: Rabbit Hole
Medium: Mixed Media, Oil and Texture on Canvas
Norwegian artist Eva Samule is recognized for her emotional and introspective mixed media pieces. Her winning work, Rabbit Hole, touches on themes of vulnerability, loss of control, and the surreal intrusion into the mundane. The piece’s unsettling yet thought-provoking narrative, along with its meticulous textural work, left a lasting impression on the jury.
Discover more about Eva Samule’s work through her scan.art profile and website
scan.art Choice Award – Alan James Weiss (South Africa)
Artwork: Factory
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Alan James Weiss, a South African artist based in Cape Town, received the scan.art Choice Award for his poignant piece Factory. The artwork portrays a compelling scene of working women in a factory, blending realism and expressionism. Weiss’s exploration of social and historical themes, along with his attention to emotional depth, earned him special recognition from the scan.art team.
Learn more about Alan James Weiss and his thought-provoking works on his scan.art profile and website.
A Night to Remember
The winners were selected after careful consideration of the original works, as it was essential for the jury to experience the physical impact of each piece. The finalists’ exhibition, held in the impressive 1200m² Bakerhouse Gallery, was curated by Gottfried Eisenberger, CEO of scan.art and curator of World Art Dubai. The gallery was divided into five zones, representing the four categories and a special zone featuring artists regularly exhibited by Bakerhouse Gallery.
The opening night saw a buzzing atmosphere, with a DJ, drinks sponsored by Jägermeister and Red Bull, and over 200 attendees. The event not only marked a milestone for scan.art but also highlighted the incredible talent of these emerging artists, many of whom sold their works within the first hours of the exhibition.
We at The Art Fair Guy had the opportunity to capture the event in full. To take a closer look at the exhibition, enjoy our 4K Walkthrough Video on YouTube, showcasing all the finalist artworks at Bakerhouse Gallery.
YOUTUBE VIDEO EINFÜGEN
Partnering for Success
The scan.art Emerging Artist Prize 2024 owes its success to the support of its key partners: World Art Dubai, Discovery Art Fair, Florence Biennale, and Bakerhouse Gallery. Their collaboration has helped elevate the prize to an international platform that nurtures artistic innovation and celebrates the future of art.
Congratulations to all the winners and finalists! Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to welcoming new artists for next year’s scan.art Emerging Artist Prize.
For more information, visit the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize page.
