Guelph's Ambera Wellman, the winner of last year's RBC Canadian Painting Competition. (Image courtesy CNW Group/RBC.)
On October 17 a jury of acclaimed Canadian artists, curators, and art directors gathered in the nation's capital to select the winner of the 2017 RBC Canadian Painting Competition. Ambera Wellmann of Guelph, Ontario won first place among fifteen finalists, and will receive $25,000 for her work entitled Temper Ripened. In addition, two honourable mentions were recognized: Teto Elsiddique from Halifax, Nova Scotia for his work Neckrings, a breezy thing and Veronika Pausova of Toronto, Ontario for her work Typography.
All three paintings will become a permanent addition to RBC's corporate art collection that includes more than 4,500 works by Canadian artists. In addition to the financial support, all finalists receive valuable mentoring opportunities with the accomplished jurists and gain exposure to national audiences. They also become part of a vibrant and dynamic community of RBC Canadian Painting Competition alumni that continue to stay connected and support one another.
"I am so excited and honoured to be recognized among such extraordinary and talented artists. This competition creates truly valuable opportunities for artists to gain exposure on a national level, and connect personally with other emerging artists across Canada."- Ambera Wellmann
Ambera Wellmann is a powerful new voice in Canadian art. Working from a foundation of painterly realism, she curiously crops a ceramic figure, turning it into an ambiguously gendered body. Her painting dissects art history's patriarchal traditions and asserts new representational power dynamics, creating slippery images that both attract the viewer and resist easy reading.
"For many artists, securing that first major opportunity in the art community is challenging, which is why the RBC Canadian Painting Competition is focused on helping emerging artists gain exposure for their work, as well as providing an opportunity for them to connect and engage with art professionals from across Canada."- Robin Anthony, curator for RBC
Source: RBC
