Ramelton artist Daniel Nelis wins AIB Portrait Prize at National Gallery of Ireland

Daniel Nelis from Ramelton has been announced as the winner of the National Gallery of Ireland’s AIB Portrait Prize. 

His work, titled Late Spring, was revealed as the winning portrait during a prize-giving ceremony at the Gallery. Along with a €15,000 prize, Nelis will also receive a €5,000 commission to create a new work for the National Portrait Collection.

About his piece, Nelis said: “This work is of my wife, Andrea, painted in the months before our marriage. Andrea has been a recurring presence in my work. The painting does not seek to sentimentalise our relationship, but to bear witness through an intimate and intrusive lens, with elements such as the fabrics and heather rendered with the same scrutiny as the figure. Such moments of quiet reflection, experienced in the vivid reality of the present, are of greatest interest in my work.”

AIB Portrait Prize Winner - Daniel Nelis, 'Late Spring'

Daniel Nelis is a visual artist, curator and art educator from Ramelton. Rooted in the desolate boglands of his home, his paintings capture moments of stillness and contemplation, and through the intimacy of the mark-making, register Nelis’s heightened awareness of the incursions of time. Nelis studied Fine Art Painting at Ulster University, later completing an MA in Art History, Collections and Curating at University College Dublin. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, at the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts.

John Foley and Conor O’Leary received highly commended prizes of €1,500 for their works Biddy Boy and The Final Portrait.

The judges for the AIB Portrait Prize were: Gareth Reid, artist; Professor Emily Mark-FitzGerald, Professor in the School of Art History & Cultural Policy in UCD; and Dr Barbara Dawson, Director of the Hugh Lane Gallery.

Daniel Nelis next to his winning artwork, 'Late Spring'. Photo: Niamh Barry

Commenting on their selection, the judging panel said: “It has been a privilege to serve as the judges for the 2025 AIB Portrait Prize. The standard of submissions was exceptional, reflecting the remarkable creativity and skill of artists working across Ireland today. Choosing the final winners was both inspiring and challenging, as the shortlisted works demonstrated such diversity of approach and strength of vision. Congratulations to Daniel Nelis, John Foley and Conor O’Leary, to the artists whose work features in this outstanding exhibition, and thanks to all those who submitted work to the competition.”

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Colin Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of AIB, added: “AIB are immensely proud to support the talent on display in the AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize. I would urge people to take the time to visit the National Gallery of Ireland to see for themselves the quality and variety of works in the exhibition. We congratulate this year’s winners Daniel Nelis and Guorui Sui, and all artists whose work will be shown for months to come.’’

The AIB Portrait Prize exhibition, featuring 26 shortlisted works in total, is now open at the National Gallery of Ireland. It will run until March 15, 2026 alongside the AIB Young Portrait Prize exhibition of 20 shortlisted portraits. Both exhibitions will also be showcased in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny from April 4 to July 20, and the Waterford Gallery of Art from July 18 to October 11 2026.

Find out more at www.nationalgallery.ie

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