Unconventional take on watercolour awarded hefty prize

Unconventional take on watercolour awarded hefty prize

An installation with an unconventional take on watercolour has won an Elam School of Fine Arts student a hefty $10,000 prize.
Kathryn Tulloch, from Mt Eden, was awarded the Henrietta and Lola Anne Tunbridge Scholarship last night, at a packed ceremony held at Projectspace Gallery.

The award is given annually to an Elam student at the University of Auckland who excels in the exploration of contemporary themes in watercolour. Named after Lola Anne Tunbridge, a keen watercolourist who died in 1999, the scholarship is one of New Zealand’s largest art prizes.

Deputy Dean Nuala Gregory and Senior Lecturer Simon Ingram from Elam were joined by Heather Nicol from Perpetual Guardian, who administer the trust, to judge the entries from dozens of submissions.

Announcing the winner, Simon Ingram said: "The calibre of the work submitted this year is high, and Kathryn’s work clearly the strongest; to us it models a detailed and sensitive study into aspects of the world around us and the medium of watercolour." He also said the winner's work was "unconventional and extends our understanding of what painting-based watercolour practice can be."

The 32 year-old masters student, who grew up in Dunedin, has been working with watercolour for many years. “There are many misconceptions about the limitations of the medium,” she says. “Watercolour has particular qualities that are specific to the medium and work well with my conceptual enquiries”.

“The foresight of the generous donors ensures the future of watercolour and reflects a vibrant, exciting use of the medium by a number of contemporary artists,” says Head of Elam School of Fine Arts, Dr Peter Shand. “It bodes well for the future of the medium as well as for Kathryn’s career,” he said.

The public can view an exhibition of finalists’ works at Projectspace gallery until early next month. There will also be a further chance to see Kathryn’s work, alongside fellow students, at the upcoming Elam Graduate Show held in November.

ENDS

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