1st Prize The Ministry of Culture Prize by Sean Ballester ‘For the Forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28)’.

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: It is an unusual piece of art on wood. Not only a painting. It is sculpture, a combination of a collage, with the very interesting way in which Picasso’s Guernica has been linked to the crucifiction, and an apple symbolic of Adam and Eve. There are many ideas within this one painting. It is large, heavy with all the ingredients of a fantastic painting worthy of any art gallery. I was attracted to it from the first time I saw it, and kept coming back to it because of the technique and use of materials. Everything is well balanced, a clever construction, and well done. Art is about projecting an idea and this work does so on many levels.

Fresh and exciting, and amazing, said this year’s judge Mario Finlayson of the Art Competition for Young Artists organised by the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Association and the Department of Education and Training. This volume of work is only from two schools - Bayside and Westside - with 34 artists submitting a total of 53 works which will remain on display until the end of next week at the Casemates Gallery.

 “It simply shows the amount of talent that exists in Gibraltar,” commented Mr Finlayson Gibraltar’s most senior artist and one of the most successful.

In an interview with the Chronicle he emphasised that the standard of the exhibition is as good as any exhibition of this nature in the UK or Spain, or anywhere else in the world with the same variety of styles.

“But I don’t think you will see this kind of exhibition in a small town anywhere in the world especially from only two schools. This is a fantastic achievement for Gibraltar for the teachers, as well as for the students,” he said.

2nd Prize The Aquagib Prize by Isabella Linares - ‘Untitled’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: This is a combination of three profiles: a front view, and two profiles of Dr Bernard Linares. What struck me first and foremost was the very updated way of working of the artist. The drawings are beautifully done and the way that the three images are linked together is almost dreamlike. The figures move from one side to the other, it is multiple images of the same person, and the dripping of paints combination with the drawing works very well as a modern piece of work. I am pleased young artists are carrying out such works at school. It is obvious they are experimenting. Once again the idea is fantastic, very well represented, also in a collage fashion. It is beautifullly executed, realistic, and combined with the Jackson Pollock drip technique, the drips scan the canvass, and you are drawn to the centre of the picture with the image of the face which allows for movement.

The Alwani Foundation Award School Years 9 – 11 by Michael Posso ‘From the Eye’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: This work attracted me from the start because of the technical ability of the artist to undertake a very difficult interpretation of a self portrait. I noticed in this exhibition there are a number of works in a similar style but not as successful as this one. The way it has been painted as if you were behind a glass partition with the bubbles allows it to work well. It is not easy. This is tedious work, and the way in which the colours change from warm to cold and back again, and the circle from the eye are excellent. Even the frame behind is interesting. Techically it is a wonderful piece, and again we have a young budding artist here.



“The future of art is safe. Gibraltar is incredibly gifted in all the spheres of the arts. Every year one is amazed at the way youngsters develop ideas in paintings. It is a very selective exhibition. There are very few paintings not up to the standard of the others, but even so the question of standard is always in the eye of the beholder. But the future is very promising,”he added with satisfaction.

The winners of this competition for young artists were announced on Tuesday evening in the presence of Minister Edwin Reyes who once again expressed his delight at the number of entries congratulating all those who had entered.

The First prize presented by First Princess Maxine de la Rosa - The Ministry of Culture Prize for £1000, was won by 17 year old Sean Ballester for his work ‘For the Forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28)’. Thrilled and delighted with his win, especially as it was only the second time he had entered a competition, this young man wants to be an architect. This winning piece was produced last year for his AS Level examination. Made of wood, he explained, how the work has a lot of personal meaning to him, and began with a visit to Madrid where he first saw Picasso’s Guernica. That same night he was inspired and began working on ideas.

“The steps is one of the features from Madrid, then came the idea of the cross which is symbolical of Christ and is dying on the cross ‘for the forgiveness of sin’ which is the title of the piece. So there is a lot of meaning and symbolism behind this work.”

The second prize, The Aquagib Prize of £500 presented by Peter Latin, was won by Isabella Linares for her ‘Untitled’ work. Surprised by her win she too is in her last year of A Level and this was her final piece for her exam from last year. Having chosen family portraits for her coursework she developed her work by looking at different artists such as Bacon and Freud.

“It was just about work on abstraction and choosing differnt angles with the face.”

With an interest in heritage and art she hopes to study English but art is very much on the cards as a hobby.

The Alwani Foundation Award for School Years 9 – 11 for £500, presented by Mr Alwani was won by Michael Posso with ‘From the Eye’ - he created this work for his year 10 coursework. Inspired by Close he found the creation of squares fascinating.This win has given him confidence, he said, to enter again next year.

The Alwani Foundation Award School Years 12 – 13 by Kane Matto ‘Ebony & Ivory II’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: It is a large portrait with lovely striking colours. The use of the brushwork, the use of the combination of the background with the face, the perfect drawing - bold colours with large strokes. Before you see the face you know it is a painting. The drip around the face with white, and the blues flowing into the background with numerous brushes is strong and energetic, as if the face was coming out of the blue no man’s land canvass. The way in which the artist has combined it all is very interesting. Even the hair of the protrait echoes the brushmarks in the background. A very strong piece almost cartoon-like making it very American. But it was the way in which the face has been managed with the colours (and background) that drew me to this painting. It is a very accurate portrayal of the structure of the head, and this is very attractive.



The Alwani Foundation Award for School Years 12 – 13 - £500 Kane Matto for ‘Ebony & Ivory II’. He was not present on the night and the award was received by his mum presented by Mr Alwani.

Marion Finlayson wanting to encourage all the entrants said he hoped they would all carry on painting, and to “work beyond yourself whether it is through art, music, dance or architecture.”

There were four Highly Commended works presented to: Kayleigh Buttigieg, Tara Anne Danino, Jonathan Huart and James Olivera.

The Exhibition will be open to the general public until March, weekdays from 10am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 1pm at the Casemates Gallery.

Higly Commended: Kayleigh Buttigieg ‘Happiness

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: This is a traditional way of painting. It is very well executed. The wrinkles on the face of the old woman are very interestingly done. The detail of the safetypin and cross are beautifully painted. She is of the younger age group, and for that age it is a fantastic painting. I hope to see more of her work in future. It may be an old fashioned way of painting but people should learn how to paint like this before they embark on the abstract.

Higly Commended: James Olivera ‘Many Pieces to the Same Face’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: The first thing that struck me was the unusual way idea of a jigsaw puzzle piece. It is very clever and beautiful. It is on wood with other mixed media. It is a very imaginative peice and it captures your attention immediately you enter the room. It is a powerful piece of work with bold colours. With the pieces merging one into the other it develops into a more ambitious work.

Higly Commended: Jonathan Huart ‘My Decay’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: We need to see more people looking at sculptures and developing ideas. This is a brave attempt probably made of fibreglass, with nails behind it which makes one think. A very contemporary piece - half a body. Works well and is imaginative. His arms are crossed so we don’t know if he is supposed to be dead or if he is a mummy but it is haunting. The background helps it too. This is excellent work too.

Higly Commended: Tara Anne Danino ‘Perception of Flesh II’

JUDGE’S COMMENTS; This painting is very enigmatic, very strong giving one a sense of death or the underworld. It also captures your attention immediately even though the anatomy of the drawing is not quite correct but it does not matter because the figure is more about the idea of this ‘great hulk’ beckening you to follow him. A strong piece, not a pretty picture on a very large canvass. A very brave idea and a haunting painting.