BP Portrait

Bianca Berends · 03-03-2008, 08:34 AM

This is the portrait I am going to enter for the BP Portrait Award in London this year. It is 85 x 165 cm, quite a large canvas. The title is 'hands of the sculptress'. I posted another portrait of this lady a few weeks ago that I did as a commission. The intention is, that it is more a portrait of hands than of the face. There are a lot of layers in this painting, that are very hard to photograph, but I think this photo gives a good idea of the painting.

Allan Rahbek · 03-03-2008, 08:51 AM

It's great, Bianca,
this painting will take you very far in the British competition, I could imagine, all the way!!!!

The size of the painting plus the perspective distortion, the larger hands, gives it a three dimentional impact. I also like the muted colors and the pattern of the light.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 03-03-2008, 02:03 PM

Dear Bianca,
I really wish you the best of luck. This work is quite striking and I think it is an excellent choice for such a crowded competition.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you - especially because I decided not to enter anything ;-)

Bianca Berends · 03-28-2008, 04:47 AM

Thanks for your best wishes! Yesterday I got the news that unfortunately my work was not selected for the exhibition but did make it to the last round. It is of course good to know that my portrait came that far, because there were 1650 entries, but at the same time it is a bit of a bummer that it didn't make it al the way! Well, maybe next time!

Alexandra Tyng · 03-28-2008, 10:45 AM

Bianca, sorry to hear it didn't make the final cut. It is a wonderful portrait and I don't know why I didn't notice it earlier, when you first posted it.

Bianca Berends · 03-28-2008, 10:48 AM

Thanks Alexandra!

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 04-26-2008, 12:23 PM

Bianca, just to cheer you up, here are some published stats

1,727 registered entries were received.
780 (45%) were from artists aged 40 or over.
536 entries (31% of the total) came from outside the UK.
55 portraits have been selected for the exhibition which runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 12 June to 14 September.
38 from the UK (that's 3.2% of the UK entries and 2.2% of the total entries)
17 from abroad (3.2% of the overseas entries and 0.98% of the total entry)
As you can see slightly more than 3% of the portraits submitted will be hung in the exhibition. An artist submitting from overseas has 1 in 100 chance of being hung in the exhibition, while a UK based artist has a slightly better chance - 2 in 100!

Bianca Berends · 04-27-2008, 04:44 PM

Thanks so much for these stats! Cheers me up. My work was selected in 2004 for the exhibit, that is something to fall back on when you don't seem to get in the last few years! I didn't realise that high percentage of artists entering over 40, 45% is really a lot.
Thanks again for the info.