The 'Bp Portrait Award' held at the National Portrait Gallery, Central London during the summer, intrigued me as it focused on the best rated contemporary portrait paintings from around the world. There were some great examples of beautifully painted portraits, ranging from all different sizes, some filling the whole wall. It was evident that there were a number of diverse styles and approaches focused on with each portrait. From personal and much more intimate paintings of friends and family to painted portraits of famous people, this exhibition really inspired me in creating a contemporary portrait for myself and getting messy with all my oil and acrylic paints again..
I found it truly amazing how the pieces chosen for exhibition, connected emotionally with the viewer, a lot of the paintings depicted strong meaning that was often presented amongst their paintings. One of my favourite portraits was 'El abuelo, Augustín Estudillo' by Ignacio Estudillo. This piece stood out to me instantly, a 2000 x 2000 mm oil on canvas, portrait of an older man centered in a dark negative space in a dark and empty room. There was an immediate atmospheric and emotional feel to this piece, as the viewer i felt i was able to catch the loneliness and emptiness the figure presented in the moment. This portrait does not only relate to the artist personally as a family relation, the figure below depicting the artist, Ignacio Estudillo's Grandfather, but also shows a part of the artist himself. An amazing piece of art that truly captured me in a daze for quite a while, pondering on the many aspects of human condition and life time experiences this piece depicted.
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