RBA Rising Stars 2025 at the ROSL and three prizewinners

Earlier this month I attended the Private View and Awards Announcement for the RBA Rising Stars Exhibition at the Royal Overseas League.

View of the PV for the RBA Rising Stars Exhibition 2025 - speeches are getting underway

The Rising Stars art competition does two things:

• it produces a longlist of c.40 young artists (under the age of 35) who become semi-finalisrs for the Rome Scholarship who will have an opportunity to exhibit their artwork in an exhibition at the Royal Overseas League.
• reviewing the artwork and the applications also enables the identification of a shortlist of three artists who then go through a further process of being interviewed for the chance to win the Rome Scholarship - which is certainly a prize any young artist would think worth having 

The 3 Selected Finalists are advised to bring with them for interview any sketchbooks or journals which show their exploration of techniques or development of their ideas

The RBA Rome Scholarship

The competition is held as an Open Call by the Royal Society of British Artists.

• It's open to artists under the age of 35. Those applying need to be:
• living and working in the UK and 
• produce figurative artwork which can be a painting, drawing, printmaking or sculpture. 

This is the link to the Rome Scholarship 2025 webpage. 

It's officially known as The Marianne Von Werther Memorial Award - but in shorthand is also known as the "RBA Rome Scholarship"

The winner's prize comprises

• £5000 prize money
• Four weeks accommodation in a self-contained apartment, situated within a wonderful and extensive walled garden in the grounds of the Sala Uno gallery - a prestigious gallery in the centre of Rome
• Studio space - available within the gallery
• Two meals per day, provided at a nearby restaurant
• Return flights to Rome

The two runners-up also receive £1000 

Plus all three candidates will have one work included in the RBA Annual Exhibition in 2026.

Three Finalists

Here are the three artists who have been selected for a further review of their artwork and sketchbooks as part of a portfolio review / interview.

By way of a preview as to the challenge of the choice for this Scholarship, I will say that the last two winners of this award (Joshua Donkor 2024 and Aelfred Hillman 2023) are both producing exceptional art which is selling phenomenally well.

Below are the three young finalists for 2025 - who were announced at the PV

• TF Ashley @tfashleyart an artist and illustrator based in Oxford, UK. His recent work focuses on large-scale drawing in a wide variety of styles and traditional media and explores our shared human experience, engaging with themes such as identity, migration, and socio-political realities.
• Katie Kaur @katiekaur.art- a half-Indian British artist based in London, currently studying for an MA Painting at the Royal College of Art. Her work seeks a visual language that bridges the material and sensorial, the ephemeral and the physical.
• Ken Nwadiogbu @kennwadiogbu -  a Nigerian-born multidisciplinary visual artist, based in London. He's a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London (MA Painting).  He creates innovative conceptual drawings and paintings on various surfaces as he engages in multidisciplinary modes. He has also exhibited internationally.
  

The three finalists with the RBA team

The three artworks by the finalists for the Rome Scholarship

Royal Society of Portrait Artists Annual Exhibition 2025

I had an extremely pleasant time at the Private View yesterday for the Annual Exhibition 2025 of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. 

Overall it was a real pleasure to be able to meet artists and view an exhibition and the artwork in a very congenial environment. So much so it will be my abiding memory of the exhibition!

The catalogue of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2025

How to have a great Private View

The reasons for the congenial environment were:

• the Private View started at 11am and the speeches and prize giving was in the evening at 6pm, by which time I'd disappeared!
• at all times there were enough people around for it to be happily populated - but at no time was there any sort of crush or sense of standing room only
• as a result I could SEE THE ART!!! 
• More importantly for me, I was also able to talk to various artists - both members and open artists - without the sound of the constant chatter generated when you invite everybody to the same PV in a very short time slot!
• AND I was able to take photos of the galleries because they were not too crowded
• Net Result: I don't have to pay a second visit just to get photos - which always makes me rather grumpy....

Moreover, this was one of the best hung exhibition by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters that I've seen in recent years. It looks great and has got a really nice flow to it and, more importantly 90% of the artwork is worth a good look (Note: I never like everything!). I gather there was a new set of hangers this year and I think they should be encouraged to do a repeat job next year!

West Gallery

I took photos of all the artwork in the exhibition and 

• UPDATE: I have now uploaded my photos into three different folders on my Facebook Page - which you can access if you have a Facebook Account
• West Gallery
• East Gallery
• North Gallery
• plus my FB album RP Annual Exhibition 2025 - Artists with their paintings.

• my photos include the artwork I liked - as single artwork photos. It's always interesting to see which aligned with the views of the Judges. Plus there's commentary on some of the photos.

More about the exhibition after the innovations highlighted below!

• You can also see the exhibition online on this link.
• These are the Award winners - the news post about the artwork which won prizes - although you have to click it to see which prize, which I'm not a fan of - because that just turns the post into clickbait.
• This is the Events Programme

The Buyers' Preview

Sainsbury Wing reopens + Coronation Portraits on display

The unveiling of the two new Coronation Portraits

Two big events happened yesterday at the National Gallery in London.

• In the Central Hall the King and Queen unveiled the Coronation State Portraits, commissioned from the artists Peter Kuhfeld and Paul S. Benney. These portraits will remain on display at the National Galleryfor one month until 5 June, before they then move to the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
• the King officially "reopened" the Sainsbury Wing after the major £85m project to transform it over the last two years to marh the 200th anniversary of the National Gallery.

The new entrance to the National Gallery

Two Coronation Portraits

"Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture" at the Saatchi Gallery - extended!

I'm never very sure why some art society selection panels have been somewhat sniffy about paintings of flowers. I've certainly encountered that view in the past (I think they ranked just above paintings of cats!). I guess this was associated with times when those running societies were somewhat sniffy about the participation of women...

However, anybody doubting the popularity of flowers should have been in Chelsea recently. Absolutely HORDES of people have been to see Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture at the Saatchi Gallery (£20 entry or £12 if you like me are pensioner age)

Due to the popularity of this exhibition, pre-booking is strongly advised. Visitors are welcome to turn-up on the day, but may be turned away once the capacity for each ticket session is reached.

I've been meaning to go and see it but wanted to avoid the hordes at the beginning and weekends and holidays - and then forgot that it was supposed to finish on 5th May! 

So I scooted along yesterday morning before the hordes wanting to see it before it "finishes" on Bank Holiday Monday.

EXCEPT it's so VERY popular that the exhibition is reopening from 30th May to 31st August 2025.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to Flowers. Visitor numbers and feedback have been exceptional, with audiences of all ages sharing feelings of joy, nostalgia, and wonder. We look forward to welcoming new audiences over the summer period, and those returning to enjoy the exhibition again.”

Which means it's on at the same time as the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show for those who really like flower paintings!

About the Exhibition

It's very much a mulit-media exhibition - examining all the different ways flowers have been presented in visual culture and artefacts.

FLOWERS spans a wide array of media – including large-scale installations, fine art, photography, sculpture, fashion, film, literature, and music – offering a multifaceted exploration of the flower as artistic and cultural muse. The exhibition invites visitors of all ages to engage, learn and reflect on their personal response to flowers, with each section of the exhibition revealing different instance of flora through art, culture and our everyday lives.

It's a very curious exhibition. I'd love to be certain about the business model behind it - which I think I've worked out. Let's just say there's an element of commercial which is not very evident unless you observe and take a little time to think - and read a few exhibit labels.

Anyway, back to the exhibition.

I was glad I went. I saw some things I've never ever seen before. 

At the same time I also saw some art I hurried past and would be happy to never see again.

Some names were new to me - and I'm glad to have found them out

Some names which one might expect to see there were absent. I'm guessing those in charge of the artwork were not collaborating (eg how could you have a photography exhibition without Karl Blossfeldt. Apparently you can - you get Blossfeldt imitators instead!!).

The names of SOME of the artists are listed on the main page for the exhibition on the Saatchi website - I suspect these are where there has been commercial support for the exhibition.

However not all artists are listed which I thought grossly unfair to those who were not (eg all the artists who have contributed paintings of plants via the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society - and donated these to the Chelsea Physic Garden. CPG got a call out - but none of the artists did.)

The Rooms

The exhibition is on two floors and organised by themes which are as follows. 

The first sentence - in bold - is the official explanation. What follows is me.

The Entrance / Stairs: Greeting visitors at the entrance is Journey of Progress, a monumental 50m² mural by British artist Sophie Mess. Spray-painted over nine days along the height of the Gallery’s stairwell, the work is a symbolic meditation on growth. 

• Well I do lifts not stairs so this was a bit lost on me in terms of walking up next to it. However I did get to admire it from the first floor looking down at it.

Sophie Mess with her artwork spray painted up the stairs

Room 1: ROOTS explores the rich history of artists depicting flowers, from the Renaissance to the modernist works of the 20th century. 

ROOM 1 - the Van Gogh on the left has been sprayed/painted on to the wall.

• It looked like it might start well with a painting by Bosschaert - EXCEPT for the fact that 
• it came from a minor museum (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) 
• IT was absolutely filthy and well overdue for a visit to the restorers for a good clean. 
• was not by one of my favourites - the wonderful and very famous 16th century painter Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (who you can see in the National Gallery) - but rather by the 17th century Jean-Baptiste Bosschaert (1667-1746) who I've never ever heard of and appears to be fairly low key and essentially a decorative painter
• Some interesting stuff from Sanderson and William Morris - including my bedroom curtains from 40 years ago! 

"Time was" by Sanderson
- and my bedroom curtains 40 years ago



• one of the best know contemporary painter printmakers was Elizabeth Blackadder RA - but the example in the exhibition is a fairly weak cousin of the type of artwork she normally produced - which was normally more colourful and had more presence. Again it made me feel like this was an exhibition which had scrimped and saved where artwork was not donated. (To see an excellent exhibition of work by Elizabeth Blackadder - see my review of the 2021 exhibition at the Garden Museum - Elizabeth Blackadder - Favourite Flowers)

Poppies (2005-2006) by Elizabeth Blackadder
hand coloured etching
courtesy of Falkirk Museum

• there was quite a bit of translation of famous paintings into mega versions of the art - from the Van Gogh Irises on the side wall to Botticelli's La Primavera on the end wall. I'd be interested to know whether these are spraypainted or decals or maybe both.
• Plus some bronze chrystanthemums

Van Gogh paintings translated into other media

Room 2: IN FULL BLOOM showcases works by established contemporary artists from the past 40 years, demonstrating how flowers continue to inspire in the modern age.  

• It was full on Saatchi - with some big names, including Mark Quinn. I wasn't a fan of his very hard edges around each petal where the tape re the spraying had been removed. I assume "lost and found edges" is not something he's familiar with.  I think this was when I realised that some of the artwork in the exhibition is for sale - which was when I started pondering on the business model....

a very large artwork covering the end wall by Mark Quinn

Six prints by Michael Craig-Martin RA
Screenprint on Somerset Satin White 410gsm paper

Room 2 - which also includes spoon flower sculptures and Jeff Koon's flower puppy

Room 3: FLOWERS IN FASHION explores the enduring relationship between flowers and fashion 

• (I skipped throight this one pretty fast as it's not really something which interests me). 
• However, I gaped at some of the very decorative plant tattoos adorning various bodies and hurried through. I couldn't quite work out whether there was a critical association with larger ladies ie. does fat make big tattoos easier to do?

artists like Daniel The Gardener merge fashion with "living art" through tattoos

the tattoed ladies

The Photography and Sculpture Gallery

Room 4: FLOWERS IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND SCULPTURE features contemporary photograpgers and sculptors, capturing moments of beauty in two and three dimensions. 

• For me, there was only one question, WHERE was Karl Blossfeldt? I kept expecting him to turn up but he just didn't. Just some who were trying to be like him. 

Photos not by Blossfeldt

• I liked some of the photographs more than I expected - but I've seen MUCH better exhibitions of plant photography in other shows. It felt more like up and comings rather than experienced and adept.

In terms of presentation, this jars a bit for me

Room 5 is a stunning 2,000 sq ft gallery entirely dedicated to LA FLEUR MORTE, a bespoke installation by internationally renowned artist Rebecca Louise Law. 

• HOWEVER......frankly her dried flowers and plants falling from the ceiling now seem to be very old, very much less colourful and very much less interesting than those I saw in her exhibit in Gallery 3 at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens back in 2017 (this post includes a pic which illustrates what I mean).  Overall, this exhibit - compared to my clear memory of the last one I saw - just looked very tired. I rather think it involved a tight budget.

very brown dried flowers
nothing like as impressive as the previous exhibit I've seen of her work

Room 6: FLOWERS IN MUSIC, FILM, AND LITERATURE highlights the role of flowers as symbols and motifs across these different media. 

• This was truly fascinating. I'd never realised before what an enduring motif flowers have been on vinyl covers of the past, film adverts and the books covers past and present.

Room 7: MIGUEL CHEVALIER, EXTRA-NATURAL is a generative and interactive virtual reality installation, bringing virtual flowers and plants to life across 70 square metres while interacting with visitors’ movements. 

• This one was very innovative and intriguing and made me walk backwards and forwards in front of it to see what happened. I am sure children will absolutely love it! There was however a distinct feel of "Dayglo Day of the Triffids" about it.

My photo: Dayglo Day of the Triffids was my name for this room

The press photo of the same room

Room 8: SCIENCE: LIFE OR DEATH. In collaboration with the Chelsea Physic Garden, this room explores the scientific aspecgs of flowers, highlighting their medicinal and poisonous properties, as well as the mathematical principles behind natural floral phenomena.

• This was where the collaboration with the Chelsea Physic Garden takes place. I have to say given the nature of the artwork displayed in this room, it was all undermined by the huge fluroescent signs used for to signify two themes relating to Pharmacy and Poisonous. This is when trying to be too contemporary completely undermines the nature of the artwork on display. It was really difficult to get a photo of any work in the room without the dayglo fluorescent in green or red intruding into the reflection. Don't ask people to display - and then ruin the presentation by a bit of graphic addon!

Botanical paintings by members of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society
Helen Allen, Judi Stone, the late Penny Stenning and Christine Battle
Note the big red sign reflecting in the painting second from right

• I saw a number of familiar works from artists who belong to the Chelsea Florilegium Society. Such a pity that the existence of the Society and why the artists produce the artwork they gift to the Chelsea Physic Garden wasn't acknowledged in any way by the exhibition exhibit text.
• The display of orchids by the RHS Orchid artists was interesting - but I didn't spot an explanation as to why the paintings exist, the history of the orchid artists and how they continue to be painted today. (Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong).

Watercolour paintings recording the various features, colours and markings
of different species of orchids
by various RHS Orchid Society Artists

• Digital forms of contemporary recording of the features of various plants and flowers were exhibited alongside the older and more traditional forms of botanical art. I liked the LED lightbox artwork Hortus siccus by Amy Shelton and it's always pleasing to see Nicki Simpson's digital plates for plant identification.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farare) 2009
a digital compilation by Niki Simpson
print on satin paper mounted on aluminium

About The Saatchi Gallery

This is what Saatchi's Press people have to say about the Gallery

Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity, beginning a new chapter in its history.

A comprehensive look at Turner - all my blog posts

This is the blog post I should have done yesterday - on the 250th anniversary of the birth Joseph William Mallord Turner on 23 April April 1775 in Maiden Lane in Covent Garden #turner250

Below is a list of all my blog posts about some aspect of Turner since I started writing this blog. They all include images of various works by Turner - and some even include my versions

Many of you will never have seen or read them.

However, beware the links to pages relating to the Turner Bequest at Tate Britain. They revamped their website - without bothering to do any 301 commands to take people from old URLs to new URLs. In part bebcause they've dumped a lot of their content relating to Turner which used to be on the website - which is a very great shame.

Turner on Making A Mark (2007-2025)

A drawing by JMW Turner
On the Washburn, under Folly Hall
British Museum

2007

• Turner Watercolours with Hockney and Shirley

2008

• Tonight Matthew I'm going to be JMW Turner..... includes one of my sketches of Turner paintings

A study of Turner's snowstorm seascape
coloured pencil on Arches HP, 8" x 10"
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

2010

• Exhibition review: Turner and the Masters at Tate Britain
• Talk and Draw at the National Gallery

The Fighting Temeraire (1839)

oil on canvas, 90.7 x 121.6 cm

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Turner Bequest 1856

2011

• Review: 'Watercolour' exhibition at Tate Britain
• Turner finished my sketchbook

2012

• A Picture of London

"The burning of the Houses of Parliament" by JMW Turner

2013

• 25th November 2013 - Who's made a mark this week? - featuring Turner and the Sea - a major exhibition of marine paintings which opened at the National Maritime Museum.

2014

• Royal Academy Videos: how we made Mr. Turner
• "Mr Turner" - a new film about JMW Turner

2015

• J.M.W. Turner's House in Twickenham - open today!
• Review of Ruskin's Turners at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Brunnen, Lake Lucerne in the distance c.1841-3,
J.M.W Turner (1775-1851).
watercolour over graphite, with pen, brown and black ink on paper
(touches of watercolour, verso, from next page)
height, 225, mm; width, 290, mm
Image: copyright Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

2016

• Art History: JMW Turner and the Industrial Revolution

Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway
Location: Maidenhead Railway Bridge looking east,
across the River Thames​ between Taplow and Maidenhead
The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1838. 
Exhibited: Royal Academy in 1844
Collection: National Gallery

2018

• Visit the Prints and Drawings Room at Tate Britain

2019

• JMW Turner's Travelling Watercolour Paints

Watercolour palette owned by J.M.W. Turner, R.A.
175 mm x 148 mm x 4 mm

2020 

J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), The Doge's Palace and Piazzetta, Venice, c.1840.
Image © National Gallery of Ireland

• J.M.W Turner and The Vaughan Bequest
• British Museum: Prints and Drawings - The Solution! - how to see some of his drawings and watercolours up close

2023

• Unseen Turner and Bonington watercolours now on display at the Wallace Collection

2025

• The Turner Prize Shortlist 2025 begs a question

Where you can see Turner's artwork

The Turner Society maintains a list of all the larger collections in public museums and galleries throughout the world, has a magazine and various events, walks, visits related to Turner. 

You can become a member of the Turner Society.