ArtHouse Jersey has named the judging panel for its inaugural Portrait Award, ahead of the competition’s entry deadline on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
The award will form part of an exhibition of contemporary portraiture at ArtHouse Jersey’s Capital House exhibition space from January to April 2027, featuring work by local and international artists.
A first prize of £1,500 will be awarded, alongside two runner-up prizes of £500 each. Full competition criteria and application details are available on the ArtHouse Jersey website.
The judging panel will include exhibition curator and ArtHouse Jersey Associate Producer Natasha Dettman, ArtHouse Jersey Head of Programme James Tyson and five external judges: Iness Rychlik, Wilfrid Wood, Martyn Harris (pictured), Jason Butler and Olympia McEwan.
Iness Rychlik is a Polish-born, UK-based photographic artist known for dark, surreal self-portraits exploring pain, solitude and vulnerability.
British artist Wilfrid Wood works across sculpture, painting and drawing, creating distinctive portraits that capture the character and individuality of his subjects.
Martyn Harris is a British realist painter with more than 40 years of professional experience. His portrait Memories won third prize and the Visitors’ Choice Award at the 2025 Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Awards at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
Jersey-based artist Jason Butler has exhibited locally and internationally since 1993. His commissions include portraits marking Royal visits, Colin Powell OBE and the Bailiff of Jersey, while his work has been shown three times at the National Portrait Gallery.
Guernsey artist Olympia McEwan’s recent work has explored women’s representation in public portraiture, medical aid for Ukraine, the German Occupation of the Channel Islands and the fragility of the natural world. Her work is held in private collections and in the permanent collection of Guernsey Museums.
Natasha Dettman said: “Representing diverse and distinctive approaches to contemporary portraiture across painting, drawing, photography and sculpture, these accomplished artists will bring a wealth of experience and insight as members of the judging panel.”
