Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce the winners of its 2022/23 CSR Art Awards. Set up in 2015, the firm's CSR Art Programme supports graduate artists from the University of Westminster and the Royal College of Art (RCA), with the transition from student life to professional practice.
The Awards are the culmination of a year-long series of events and activities aimed at supporting graduate artists, and an opportunity for the firm to recognise the exceptional talent of this community.
This year's panel of judges included alumni artist Radek Husak, Adam Jomeen, founder of Art Law Studio, and Alexa Chow, Assistant Curator at Serpentine Galleries. They selected winners in two categories; an undergraduate from the University of Westminster and a postgraduate from the RCA. A third winner was chosen via firmwide popular vote.
Beth Theobald was the overall winner in the University of Westminster graduate category for her photographic series, "A Viable Loop", which explores sustainable approaches to photography. Runners up were Georgia Quigley her work titled "Everything I've Been", Niccolò Pellegrino for his painting "But babe there is no guidance" and Kamile Radinaite for her series "Regrowth".
Beth Theobald, University of Westminster winner said: "I am delighted that I was picked as a winner at the CSR Art Awards and to be able to demonstrate a more sustainable approach of generating art."
Katrine Lyck took the top prize in the RCA category for her striking monoprint on silk titled "Soothing Forms IV". Runners up were Grace Tobin for her painting "Here and Now", Elissa Jane Diver for her photograph "Summer Oak" and Anna Blom for her painting "Permission To Keep You".
Elissa Jane Diver was also announced as the winner of the popular vote, which was open to everyone who works at Travers Smith, for her work titled "Summer Oak". Elissa said: "Once work has been made and it’s out in the world, there’s no better feeling than when other people value what you’ve created. I was thrilled to win the firmwide Popular Vote award and to know that people working at Travers Smith enjoyed seeing my work in their offices this year."
All three winning artists have been awarded £2,000 to support them with their transition towards professional practice. Runners up have also been awarded cash prizes of £250.
Travers Smith CSR Partner and Art Programme Chair Donald Lowe said: "Our CSR Art Programme continues to lie at the very heart of the firm's CSR efforts, and this year I, and the rest of the Art Committee, have once again been incredibly impressed by the exceptional quality of the students whom we have been fortunate to support. Huge congratulations to this year's winners."
