Karl Ullger’s ‘Castle Steps Patio’ selected for Royal West of England Academy exhibition

Karl Ullger’s painting ‘Castle Steps Patio’ has been selected to exhibit in the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) Annual Open online gallery.

Mr Ullger’s painting was one of 500 selected to form part of the exhibition, with the painting selected from over 10,000 entries.

The exhibition which starts next week on Saturday, October 8, is an 169th annual open held by the RWA.

The RWA is Bristol’s “first art gallery” and was founded in 1844.

Mr Ullger told the Chronicle the RAW prides itself in being the South West’s leading centre for exhibitions, exploration and practice of the visual arts, and recognised as a place that enriches and nourishes the lives of people from all communities and backgrounds.

Exhibitions at the RWA feature work by leading contemporary artists, including the RWA’s own Academicians, alongside great works from the past, often brought to the city and region for the first time, opening up new and surprising contexts and discussions.

“The only time that the Annual Open took a break was during the Second World War when the prestigious RWA building/ museum was used by the military,” Mr Ullger said.

“As well as the Annual Open, throughout its history the RWA has shown numerous exhibitions of note, including, in 1930, a French Modern Art Exhibition that included works by Auguste Rodin, Paul Gauguin, Pierre Bonnard and Raoul Dufy.”

Mr Ullger’s painting ‘Castle Steps Patio’ has already achieved feats earlier this year, and was selected for the Longlist Round in the UK Jackson Prize competition in March 2022, reaching the final 400 out of over 8,900 entries.

“It later was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ at this year's Gibraltar Spring Art competition in May,” Mr Ullger said.

“Apart from those accolades it was one of the five paintings of mine selected to be exhibited at this months, London Bermondsey exhibition titled, ‘Our Scared Place, Our Scared Earth’ by curator Phillippa Beale.”

“The painting currently hangs in London and even though I am over the moon with the opportunity, unfortunately it will not be able to be physically part of the RWA show.”

The RWA have announced that they will be including it in its online gallery, physical catalogue of the Royal West of England Academy Open Exhibition (RWA) and apart from this in the gallery exhibition in Bristol there will be a plaque with the painting and Mr Ullger’s name.

“Even though it’s a shame that it cannot make the physical opening I’m very proud to be part of it and have the painting visually being represented as part of the exhibition,” he said.

“I’m extremely surprised of the success the painting has achieved and its mini art tour and successes it is having.”

The RWA exhibition will be open from October 8, to January 8, 2023.