LONDON’S NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ITS 2025 PORTRAIT AWARD
The National Portrait Gallery in London has announced the recipient of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 as Moira Cameron for her painting A Life Lived (2024). As part of the award, Cameron will receive a cash award of £35,000 ($47,100). Cameron’s painting is currently being exhibited until October 12th at the National Portrait Gallery, alongside 45 other portraits. Crafted with pastels, spray paint, and layers of oil paint, the painting depicts a women seated in a blue armchair. The portrait evokes feelings of fatigue and quiet contemplation, while retaining an expressive quality in its execution. Vigo Gallery is currently exhibiting Cameron’s first solo show, in which the artist has reimagined historical works through a contemporary feminist lens. The gallery will also be showcasing Cameron’s works later this year at the Armory Show in New York. As for the runners up, second place was awarded to British painter Tim Benson for Cliff, Outreach Worker (2024) and Martyn Harris received the third place prize for Memories (2024). The recipient of the Young Artist Award has also been announced by the National Portrait Gallery as Michelle Liu, an American painter. Liu was selected for Kofi (2024) and is currently based in London.
Moira Cameron, A Life Lived, 2024
‘FORMIDABLE’ PAINTER RAYMOND SAUNDERS HAS DIED AGED 90
Raymond Saunders, celebrated for his mixed-media works, has passed away at the age of 90. Saunders was born in 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before earning his BFA from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Saunders went on to receive his MFA at the California College of Arts and Crafts and held his first solo exhibition at Terry Dintenfass Gallery in New York in 1966. However, in 1977 Saunders began to gain attention for his pamphlet Black is a Color, where he rejected the idea that ‘the Black arts’ should be seen as a separate category. The pamphlet was written in response to an article by Ishmael Reed regarding Black American art, with Saunders emphasising that, “Art projects beyond race and colour; beyond America. It is universal, and Americans – Black, white or whatever – have no exclusive rights on it.” Across his career, Saunders has been exhibited in a number of major shows, including ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’ (2017) at Tate Modern, London, and ‘Paris Noir: Artistic Circulations and Anti-Colonial Resistance, 1959-2000’ (2025) at Centre Pompidou, Paris. In February 2024, David Zwirner Gallery announced its co-representation of Saunders with Andrew Kreps Gallery. Curator and writer Ebony L. Haynes curated a two-part survey of Saunders’ works titled ‘Post No Bills,’ describing the artists as a ‘formidable’ painter.
Raymond Saunders, 1934-2025
NOTRE DAME IS GETTING AN A.I. POWERED ‘DIGITAL TWIN’
Following the much anticipated re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral last winter following the fire in 2019, the French government are collaborating with Microsoft to create a ‘digital twin’ of the building. Using photos taken by cameras, drones, and lasers, specialists will use A.I. to craft a perfect replica of the cathedral. The project is being led by French start up Iconem, using Microsoft provided A.I. technology; the replica will also be donated to the cathedral by Microsoft. The virtual cathedral will also help future conservationists due to the intricate detail that can be replicated with the model. Structural flaws can even be detected by the A.I. algorithms thus aiding in the sustaining of the building over time. Last year Iconem and Microsoft worked with the Vatican on a digital replica of St Peter’s Basilica, using 400,000 photographs to create the reconstruction. These digital replicas can also be used to reach a wider audience and increase the accessibility of these historic sites through digital pathways.
The process of creating a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica
BRIDGET RILEY DONATES MAJOR NEW WORK TO TATE BRITAIN’S COLLECTION
Bridget Riley has donated Concerto I (2024) to the Tate collection as a gift and the work will be debuting alongside Fall (1963) in a display covering six decades of Riley’s practice. While Concerto I recalls the colours of Post-Impressionism, its counterpart Concerto II presents a darker palette and “plays a game of visual hide-and-seek.” This showcase will also mark the fourth time that Riley’s works have been shown at Tate since 1973, the institution’s collection including ten paintings, twenty-five studies, and works on paper by the artist. Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, has shared, “We are extremely grateful to Bridget Riley for her generosity in making such a significant gift to the nation. Riley’s work changed the landscape of abstract art, and Concerto I demonstrates how she continues to expand her practice while upholding a commitment to exploring energy and sensation through colour and form. We’re delighted to be able to show the painting in Tate Britain’s free collection displays over the next year, and I have no doubt it will soon become one of the best-loved works in the gallery.”
Bridget Riley, Concerto I, 2024
EDITORS’ PICKS: 7 EXHIBITIONS TO SEE THIS SUMMER
Art Basel have chosen seven exhibitions happening across the world this summer, starting with ‘Ana Silva: As guardiās’ at Magnin-A in Paris. The Angolan artist’s large-scale embroidery works often explore themes of nature and humanity, depicting women as the balance between the two groups. Leading on from this, the Fondation Boghossian in Brussels are showing ‘Timeless Gazes: From Pharaohs to the Present Day,’ an exhibition that brings contemporary works in conversation with the Egyptian Pharaohs. Moroccan artist Ghizlane Sahli’s installation piece recalls the River Nile with its frothy volumes of material cascading from the ceiling. Next on the list is ‘David Lynch’ at Galerie Duchamp in Yvetot, France, dedicated to the late film director and the visual arts of his practice. The exhibition will shine a spotlight on the pictorial and sculptural works that accompanied his cinematic practice, showcasing 50 lithographs that mimic a storyboard. Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge has opened ‘Lubaina Himid in Magda Stawarska: Another Chance Encounter,’ revealing historically hidden narratives while celebrating Himid’s practice. Himid will also be showing at the British Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Following this is “Delcy Morelos: Madre,” at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. Colombian artist Morelos draws on collective memory and Indigenous world views through Madre, a large-scale work made of earth and straw. Amidst the earthy scents of soil and buckwheat, the scent of cinnamon and honey can also be noted, the work creating an all-encompassing experience for the viewer. The last two exhibitions on the list are ‘Emma Reyes, une artiste haute en couleaur,’ at the Musée d’art et d’archéologie du Périgord, Périgueux, France, and ‘From Origin to the Future,’ at the Naoshima New Museum of Art on Naoshima Island in Japan.
Installation view of Ghizlane Sahli's La Plume, le papier et le parfum, 2025
THIS FALL, PHILLIPS WILL DEBUT ‘FIRST-OF-ITS KIND’ PRIORITY BIDDING STRUCTURE
This September will see the introduction of Phillips’ new fee model that will feature a “first-of-its kind buyer’s premium structure” and “priority bidding.” The model consists of a binding written bid that must be placed at least 48 hours before the auction’s commencement, with the bid equal to or greater than the lot’s low estimate. The winning priority bid will then receive a lower buyer’s premium rate. This new structure adds a further element of predictability to the auction, allowing specialists to review the bids in advance. Martin Wilson, the Chief Executive Office at Phillips, has shared, “Our aim now is to strengthen our position on this front by encouraging early engagement in order to generate spirited bidding while also providing greater certainty for sellers. Rewarding all buyers who commit early will create more momentum in the early stages of bidding and a compelling auction experience.” The updated rates at the New York sales are 29% for hammer prices up to and including $1 million, 22% for prices between $1 million and $6 million, and 15% for those above $6 million. This will be reduced to 25%, 20%, and 14% accordingly for priority bids.
Jordan Tan holds an MA in History of Art from the prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art. With a passion for fine art and the art market, Jordan plays a key role at Art Works by researching and interpreting trends across the primary and secondary markets, delivering valuable insights and business intelligence for the fine art department.
