National Gallery of Ireland announces AIB prize shortlists

The National Gallery of Ireland has revealed the 46 artists shortlisted for this year’s AIB portrait prizes.

The shortlist for the AIB Portrait Prize, which aims to show “the breadth of contemporary Irish art”, comprises 26 artists from across the island of Ireland working across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and photography.

The winner of the prize will receive €15,000 in cash and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection, for which they will be awarded a further €5,000. There will also be two other awards of €1,500 for highly commended entries.

David Stephenson, a fine art photographer and film-maker from Dublin, was selected as the winner of last year’s prize for his photograph, Ann and Ollie, Main Street, Wexford, after Dublin artist David Booth won the competition in 2022 for his painting, Salvatore, 2021.

The judging panel this year consists of artist Hughie O’Donoghue, The Model director Emer McGarry and Simon O’Connor, director of the Museum of Literature Ireland.

Meanwhile, there were 20 young artists aged between three and 18 years old shortlisted for the AIB Young Portrait Prize, which is now in its sixth year. Five winners will be selected – one from each respective age category and an overall winner – and will receive a bespoke art box, with the overall winner also being awarded a €500 cash prize.

The judges are author-illustrator and motivational speaker Ashwin Chacko, visual street artist Emmalene Blake and Sheena Barrett, head of research and learning at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

An exhibition featuring a shortlist of portraits from both competitions will go on display in the National Gallery from November 9th, 2024, until March 9th, 2025.

AIB Portrait Prize 2024: The 26 shortlisted works

Are You Sitting Comfortably, by Harriet Casey

Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, by Laurence J McMahon (laurencejphotography.com)

The Family Bowles and The Fiscal Black Hole, by David Hamilton

Miss Evans in her Sweetshop, by David Creedon

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Arann McCormack

Shane MacGowan At Home, 2021, by Ellius Grace

Isabella Gerbola, Circus Gerbola, Tramore, 2023, by Caolán Barron

AIB Portrait Prize 2024: The 26 shortlisted artists

Neil-Jack (Alphonsus) Hamilton (Donegal), Jennifer McShane, oil on canvas
Robert Jackson (Dublin), Beth in Low Light, oil on roughened brass plate
Arann McCormack (Wicklow), I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, photograph
Michael Wann (Sligo), Camille, Charcoal on Paper
Kevin Sharkey (Dublin), Robyn, photograph
Gearóid Arthur Hayes (Limerick), Kwena Chokoe, oil on board
Cara Rose (Dublin), Ailbhe and Michelle, coloured pencil on mounted paper
Robert Stothard (Leitrim), Carl in the Box Room, photograph
Markela Lacovou (Dublin), 10.07.1980, photograph edited in Photoshop and Illustrator, digital printing on canvas and manual work with hagiography pigments and caustic liquid
Amanda Dunsmore (Clare), Lydia, Dr Lydia Foy, 2022, filmed video portrait, silent, 18 mins
Beverley Healy (Antrim), Sibling Travellers, mixed media (egg tempera, oil, and acrylic) on panel
Caolán Barron (Wexford), Isabella Gerbola, Circus Gerbola, Tramore, 2023, photograph
Laurence J McMahon (Dublin), Mary Lou McDonald President of Sinn Féin, photograph
Conor O’Connell (Roscommon), Ómra, oil on copper panel
Ellius Grace (Dublin), Shane MacGowan At Home, 2021, photograph
David Hamilton (Armagh), The Family Bowles and The Fiscal Black Hole, acrylic on canvas
Philip Thomas Crean (Dublin), 64, photograph
Emily McGardle (Monaghan), The Pox, coloured pencil and pen on paper
Martin Maguire (Louth), GameBoy, oil on canvas
Darragh O’Connell (Dublin), John and Fionnán, oil on canvas
Lorraine Dunne (Westmeath), Aoife on Dollymount, oil on canvas
David Creedon (Cork), Miss Evans in her Sweetshop, photograph
Shane Coughlan (Dublin), Róisín Dubh, photograph on photo rag paper
Joy Kavanagh (Cork), Self-subject; In Bloom, acrylic on wooden board
Mick O’Dea (Clare), Fergus Martin, oil on canvas
Harriet Casey (Meath), Are You Sitting Comfortably?, oil on canvas

AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024: The 20 shortlisted works

Tumtha (Immersed), by Aoibhe Devereux, age 16

Father’s Day, by Victoria Yan-Rock, age 6

My Mother, by Adam Wiercioch Chinatamunnee, age 8

Me in Chinese Traditional Dress, by Junxi Yi, age 11

Dawn in Molten Blue, by Julia Kardas, age 18

Allanah the Mermaid, by Allanah McDonald Brown, age 5

My Hair at the End of the Day, by Rosie Dwyer, age 4

My Younger Self, by Darragh Granahan, age 16

Breakthrough, by Aoibhe O’Connor, age 15

Gill in the Garden and the Sun is Setting, by Hugo Cashell, age 5

Inner Reflection, by Avni Mittal, age 14

Self Portrait of My Future Self, by Phelim McEvoy, age 3

AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024: The 20 shortlisted artists

Phelim McEvoy (Carlow), Self Portrait of my Future Self, pencil on paper
Junxi Yi (Meath), Me in Chinese Traditional Dress, oil pastel, nail polish, and gem stickers on canvas
Aoibhe O’Connor (Waterford), Breakthrough, acrylic on canvas
Avni Mittal (Cork), Inner Reflection, acrylic on canvas
Sarah Leyden (Dublin), Park Life, oil on canvas
Zihan He (Dublin), My Mum, acrylic on canvas
Taibat Rasheed (Dublin), Spring, graphite on paper
Darragh Granahan (Galway), My Younger Self, acrylic on canvas
Conor Mooney (Dublin), My Best Friend, pencil and oil pastel on canvas
Allanah McDonald Brown (Wicklow), Allanah The Mermaid, mixed media
Victoria Yan-Rock (Dublin), Father’s Day, oil pastel on paper
Rosie Dwyer (Wicklow), My Hair at the End of the Day, paint, markers, and pencils on paper
Hugo Cashell (Meath), Gill in the Garden and the Sun is Setting, acrylic ink on paper
Adam Wiercioch Chinatamunnee (Cavan), My Mother, oil pastel on paper
Roman Petrova (Limerick), Vivid Impressions, coloured pencil on paper
Guorui Sui (Dublin), My Little Sister, oil on canvas
Evan Ward (Dublin), Family Unit Joe, clay
Aoibhe Devereux, Tumtha (Immersed), acrylic on canvas board
Julia Kardas (Clare), Dawn in Molten Blue, acrylic and pastel on paper
Kate Glanville (Dublin), One World, pencil and paint on paper