BP Portrait Award 2018: Miriam Escofet wins for painting of 'universal mother'
A London-based artist has won the BP Portrait Award, one of the most prestigious portraiture prizes in the world, for her painting of her mother.
Miriam Escofet’s winning painting, An Angel at my Table, depicts the artist’s mother sat at a table laid with a tea set, as she looks out to her side, seemingly towards a window.
The artist had said she wanted to "transmit an idea of the Universal Mother, who is at the centre of our psyche and emotional world."
Escofet was presented with the prize last night at the National Portrait Gallery by model and actress Lily Cole. The accolade includes £35,000 prize money, along with a further agreement to complete a commission for the gallery worth £7,000.
Born in Barcelona, Escofet moved to the UK at the age of 12, and graduated from Brighton School of Art in 1990. She has since spent time as a life drawing tutor at Central Saint Martins.
Her painting was chosen out of 2,667 entries from 88 countries, and beat three other shortlisted artworks to the coveted award, including Ania Hobson portrait of herself and her artist sister in law, Felicia Forte’s painting of her sleeping boyfriend and Zhu Tongyao’s depiction of a child whose family he met in Italy.
All shortlisted paintings will go on display as part of the BP Portrait Award exhibition which runs at the National Portrait Gallery from June 14 to September 23.
For more information, visit npg.org.uk
