November 29, 2022

Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open at Aberdeen Art Gallery

The eighth edition of the prestigious biennial award is now open in Aberdeen.

Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open recognises and promotes the significance of making practice and process within contemporary visual arts. It supports exceptional UK-based artist and makers to develop their creative ideas independently, enabling them to experiment, learn and take risks with substantial curatorial support.

Open to the public until 5 March 2023, the exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery showcases new commissions by Anna BerryCecilia CharltonJahday FordVicky Higginson and Francisca Onumah and Helena Russell, providing a snapshot of some of the most exciting new work being produced by early-career UK-based artists and makers.

The presentation is curated by Svetlana Panova who is based at Aberdeen Art Gallery in a two-year curatorial role co-funded by Jerwood Arts and Art Fund to support curatorial development in the field of visual arts, crafts and applied art in museums and galleries. Drawing on the richness of Aberdeen’s collections, Svetlana has collaborated with the artists to carefully select additional items to be placed alongside their commission, making connections across time with artists and designers from the past.

The artists were selected from over 500 applications by an independent panel comprising: Christine Rew, formerly Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Manager; Yinka Ilori, artist and designer; Junko Mori, artist maker in metal; Dame Magdalene Odundo, potter; and Harriet Cooper, Head of Visual Arts at Jerwood Arts.

This edition of the awards launched a new collaboration with Art Fund and a partnership with Aberdeen Art Gallery, who have hosted a dedicated curatorial role to support the project. It launched at Jerwood Space in January 2022 before touring to Newlyn Art Gallery in summer 2022 and travelling to Aberdeen Art Gallery for its ultimate presentation in autumn 2022.

Find out more

Find visiting information for Aberdeen Art Gallery, here.

Read about Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open, here.

Vicky Higginson, Coping Mechanism: to see things differently, 2021. Commissioned for Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open. Installation view at Jerwood Space. Photo: Anna Arca.