As you will know if you have been keeping an eye on my social media. Last week, I had the honour of exhibiting my painting, Piano at The Cello Factory, in London, after being selected as a finalist for The Ingram Collection 2019 Young Contemporary Talent Purchase Prize. Not only was this my first London Exhibition, but also a fantastic experience for me to meet with other, recently graduated artist and be able to attend the brilliant artist development talks organised by The Ingram Collection.

In this post, I wanted to share with you some of the wonderful works that were on show, some of the fantastic artists I met and the top 5 things I learnt from my first exhibition in the big smoke!

Interstice [dark] I to IX and Edifice Dismantled III, Roberta De Caro (Back)Images have legs, Lucy Gregory (front) — *Interstice [dark] I to IX* and *Edifice Dismantled III,* Roberta De Caro (Back)
*Images have legs,* Lucy Gregory (front)

The Vunerable Disposition, Emma Prempeh, oil, acrylic, fabric, print and imitation gold leaf on canvas. — *The Vunerable Disposition,* Emma Prempeh, oil, acrylic, fabric, print and imitation gold leaf on canvas.

The Ingram Collection Purchase Prize was established in 2016 to celebrate and support the work of artists at the outset of their careers, and is open to all artists who have graduated from a UK art school within the previous five years. This years award was sponsored by Rawlinson & Hunter and hosted, thanks to Susan Haire, at the wonderful Cello Factory.

Industrial Totem, Bislacchi, acrylic on canvas and wood — *Industrial Totem,* Bislacchi, acrylic on canvas and wood

As mentioned, not only am I thrilled to have been included among such an exciting collection of artists, but I was also over the moon to be able to attend a talk with Rosalind Davis; author of What They Didn’t Teach You In Art School (https://www.rosalinddavis.co.uk/what-they-didnt-teach-you-in-art-school) and incredible sculptor and painter, concerned with the transformation and regeneration of space – among many other interesting things! Davis discussed survival in the world of contemporary fine art. A subject which, you will know, is of intense interest to me, especially when it comes to the art market, value and subjectivity. It was fascinating to hear Davis describe her own experiences, the trials and errors of exhibiting and how wearing many hats can be lucrative and rewarding, in a confusing and varied industry!

5 Things I learned from this exhibition:

1) It’s not really a competition…

Okay, so it kind of is. As with many art prizes and open calls, there are winners who progress a little further on than others on certain occasions. But what I really mean from this point is that it’s not the guns out, competitive environment that I worried it might be! All 24 finalists of the purchase prize were uniquely talented, interesting and friendly, and rather than eagerly anticipating the awarding of the prize, what I felt most was an appreciation for being able to show my work in such a vibrant space, with so much talent and creative enthusiasm.

2) Wrapping and labelling your work well is so important…

This may seem like an obvious one, but I cannot stress enough how key this is. Not only for the physical protection of your work and it being labelled correctly, but as to how you present yourself! If you are hand delivering your work – as I did – then you can discuss with the installation team exactly what needs to be done (which way up it goes, in the case of us abstract painters!) and any special requirements, but it is so easy to pop these all on a bit of paper attached to the packaging if you can’t be there yourself. It shows you care and makes the hard working installers’ lives much easier!

3) Show up!

Whether it’s to the opening evening, throughout the running of the exhibition, to the installation, to the talks and events (if there are any) or to the closing night! It is such a wonderful feeling to stand infront of your painting while it is being exhibited, to see people viewing and discussing your work and to engage with individuals who appreciate your work. It was invaluable to be able to attend the artist development talks as part of this exhibition and the opening evening was such a wonderful event! If you are able, go, go, go, to everything!

4) You will have to talk about your work. A lot…

And this is a GOOD thing. Just make sure you can. It can feel really daunting to tell someone what your work discusses, what you are interested in and how a particular piece came about, but it is great practice for when potential buyers, investors, employers, representatives etc. want to know what you’re all about! It is also fantastic to share ideas with like-minded individuals, and make sure to ask about their work too!!

5) Everyone is rooting for you…

Well, everyone who matters is. My favourite thing about being an artist is the collective community among creatives; the overwhelming sense of encouragement and interest and genuine well wishes. Everyone wants to do well for themselves, but they want you to do well too, because ultimately they are passionate about art, so any success is success for us all. Cheer for yourself, cheer for them, support others, and say a massive THANK YOU to those that support you. As Rosalind Davis discussed in her talk, thanking someone for their interest, attention, attendance, information etc. is so easy, and will not only make their day, but helps you to connect with other creatives!

So, overall, not only am I really, genuinely just quite chuffed to have been a part of this fantastic collective of artists, but I have learnt so much from being a finalist in the Young Contemporary Talent Purchase Prize, here’s to what we all get up to next!

All images courtesy of JP Bland www.jpbland.co.uk