Donegal artist shortlisted for Zurich Young Portrait Prize competition

A Donegal artist is one of 20 to have reached the finalists' shortlist in the Zurich Young Portrait Prize. 

The prestigious competition runs alongside the adult version, the Zurich Portrait Prize at the National Gallery of Ireland.

With his thought-provoking drawing Focus, Letterkenny's PJ Doherty is one of the 20 artists aged between four and 18 to have made the shortlist.

The Zurich Young Portrait Prize returns for its fourth year in 2022. Five winners (one from each respective age category and an overall winner) will be selected from a shortlist of hundreds of entries from across the island of Ireland.

Winners will receive a bespoke art box and a cash prize. The overall competition winner will be awarded a personalised wooden box of high-quality art materials, specific to their choice of material in their portrait, and a cash prize of €500. All 20 shortlisted entrants will have their artwork professionally framed and prepared.

This year’s Zurich Young Portrait Prize judges are Janet McLean, curator, National Gallery of Ireland; Nick Roche, comic illustrator; and Una Sealy RHA, artist.

Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich, said: “The Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize brings together the remarkable breadth of talent in Ireland’s portrait artists of all ages. We are delighted to see such a strong selection of works once again in this year’s shortlists and very proud to continue our sponsorship of these exciting competitions.”

Exhibitions of shortlisted works in both competitions run at the National Gallery of Ireland between November 26 and April 2. The exhibition will then travel to the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, where it will be displayed between June 3 and  September 2, giving Donegal people a chance to see PJ's work first hand. 

It will also give visitors to the exhibition the opportunity to see the work of some of Ireland's most exciting contemporary artists.

Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: “The Zurich Portrait Prize is now firmly established as an annual opportunity for artists of all ages to submit work for assessment by an independent panel of judges.

"The adjudicators are appointed each year, bringing new insights to the process of selecting the winning and commended artists. Zurich is a terrific partner in this venture.

"The exhibition now tours after it finishes its run at the Gallery, allowing works to be seen outside Dublin. The Gallery is delighted that this exhibition gives many new and returning artists the opportunity to show their work in the National Gallery of Ireland. We look forward to the exhibitions later this year at the Gallery and next year in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.”