PAUL SMITH’S FOUNDATION
Paul Smith’s Foundation and Winsor & Newton partnered once again for their celebrated International Art Prize in painting and drawing. Accessible to artists of all abilities and aimed at those within the first 10 years of their career, the free-to-enter Open Call presented its inaugural edition last year, announcing six winning artists from around the world, selected by a notable, local industry representative. In Year Two, six new artists have been chosen, this time in London, Nottingham, Copenhagen, Antwerp, New York and Shanghai. The winning artists – representing an all-female selection – are: Laura Basterra Sanz (Antwerp); Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway (New York); Charlotte Winifred Guérard (London); Michelle Heron (Nottingham); Zhongwen Hu (Shanghai); and Silke WeiBbach (Copenhagen).
Work by all of the artists is presented in P.O.V – Defining Your Point of View, a group exhibition at Paul Smith Art Space, a permanent gallery housed beneath Paul Smith’s flagship London store in the heart of Mayfair. Joined by past exhibitors from Paul Smith’s artistic program, this exhibition explores and celebrates the unique perspectives of each artist. Through diverse mediums and personal narratives, P.O.V invites audiences to engage with the powerful, individual points of view that exist around the world. This broad-spanning presentation opens to the public on Thursday 13 November 2025 and will run until 12 January 2026. Each artist also receives a monetary donation from Paul Smith’s Foundation and up to £1,000 worth of materials of their choosing from Winsor & Newton to make a new piece of work which will be hung for sale in their local Paul Smith store.
Launched by Paul Smith’s Foundation in 2024, the International Art Prize emerged out of necessity, a recognition of the stark need for peer-to-peer support for early career artists, as well as the chance to develop their international networks. As such, the judges are located in each of the cities where the winning artists are based, and are notable for their vital networks and outstanding experience to develop an artist’s professional practice: Marie Laurberg, Director Copenhagen Contemporary (Copenhagen); Stijn Maes, Director Masereel (Antwerp); X Zhu Nowell, Artistic Director Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai); Larry Ossei-Mensah, Curator and Critic (New York); Mark Rappolt, EiC of ArtReview and Founder of ArtReview Asia (London); and Salma Tuqan, Director Nottingham Contemporary (Nottingham).
For decades, Sir Paul Smith has championed art and artists. From a 20-year scholarship with the Royal Academy Schools, to a collection of over 10,000 works of art exhibited in stores worldwide. Originals from major household names such as Damien Hirst, Lynette Yiadom-Boake and Banksy are showcased alongside works from early career artists in a globally rotating programme of showcases and selling exhibitions. To date, over 120 artists have exhibited their work around the world with Paul Smith, including existing and especially commissioned pieces.