Leslie Gaduzo wins Spring Visual Arts Competition

Leslie Gaduzo won this year’s Gibraltar Spring Visual Arts Competition, with his painting ‘In Hong Kong’ selected from 154 entries.

Following an intense judging session by international artist Javier Machimbarrena the winners were presented with their prizes on Monday evening.

A total of 154 entries by 79 artists have been submitted to the exhibition that was organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.

The Minister for Culture, Dr John Cortes, presented the awards at a prize giving ceremony held at the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery.

Mr Gaduzo won £3,000 for being the overall winner and an additional £750 for winning the Painting, Drawing, Prints Digital Painting Award for his piece called ‘In Hong Kong’.

“What can I say, I was hoping to get one prize but not the two,” Mr Gaduzo told the Chronicle.

When asked if he knew it was a winner when he entered it into the competition he said it was a hard question to answer.

“I don’t really paint with a strategy. I just paint because something inspires me and I have to put it on board or canvas and I then I select the one that I’m thinking maybe this is the one that someone will like”, he added.

Before presenting the winners with their certificates and prize money Dr Cortes called the exhibition a demonstration of the talent and the artists that live in Gibraltar.

“We have tremendous talent in Gibraltar,” Dr Cortes said.

“I suspect that a lot of these works have been done during the last year, during times of lockdown.”

Dr Cortes added GCS and the ministry were hard at work during the pandemic to keep the arts alive.

“I always say this, culture is what gives the community its heart,” he said.

“It is a reflection of the heart of the community. So I am really, really pleased to be here to open this today.”

Tyrone Anthony Vera was awarded £750 for his sculpture ‘Size 6’.

Daniel Ghio also won £750 for his photograph ‘The Beauty Within’.

Taking the video award and £750 was Alan Perez for ‘Confinement Boogie’.

Karl Ullger won the Best Gibraltar Theme, The Gibraltar Cultural Services Award of £1,000 for his painting ‘4 Hospital Steps’.

The following received highly commended certificates:

Zulaika Vallance for ‘A Fresh Start’, Timo Canessa for ‘El Habanero’ and Rina Devine for ‘Retribution’.

The exhibition will be open to the general public from Tuesday, May 25 to Saturday, June 5, 2021, weekdays from 10.30am to 6.30pm and Saturdays from 10.30am to 1.30pm.

A feature on the exhibition will be published in tomorrow’s edition.