Donate button
Donate arrow
Still Life
Still Life

Gibraltar Students Prize

Presented by

Established in 2021, The Gibraltar Students Prize is open to all secondary school students in Gibraltar who are aged 11-18 years old (at the time of entry).

 

Entry is closed.

 

How To Participate

01

Nomination

Participating students must be nominated by their teacher. Upon entry, students will be asked to enter the name of their nominating teacher.

Click here for T&Cs.

 

02

Artwork Submission

Nominated students can submit up to three artworks online before the submission deadline. Please follow the entry instructions in the T&Cs.

Our panel of judges will then select 20 student artists for the shortlist.

03

The Prizes

The Judges’ Prize of £800 is awarded to the student artist with the highest score from the judges. £2,000 is awarded to the school of the Judges’ Prize winner.

The Public Vote Prize of £400 is awarded to the student artist with the most votes from the public. £1,000 is awarded to the school of the Public Vote Prize Winner.

The Hassan’s Prize of £400 is awarded to both a selected student artist and their school on behalf of Hassans.

Shortlist

Laura Blake
Bubbles are the Window to the Soul image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Bubbles are the Window to the Soul
Alba Bocarisa
Canadian suburbs  image
Canadian suburbs
Annalise Cisarego
Cascades onto River Fowey, Cornwall image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Cascades onto River Fowey, Cornwall
Lauren Bennett
Copy of Lucian Freud’s “John Deakin”  image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Copy of Lucian Freud’s “John Deakin” 
Jeremy McMahon
Disturbing alloy image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Hassans Prize Winner
Disturbing alloy
Julianne Podesta
Flat Bastion Road image
Flat Bastion Road
Sophie Ariane Selby
Flowers on Gibraltar image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Flowers on Gibraltar
Kiaine Bosano
Hospital hill at dusk  image
Hospital hill at dusk
Ryn Rosado
Open Your Eyes image
Open Your Eyes
Emily Hermida
OS35 image
OS35
Sebastien Gorny
Roast Battle image
BIDDING AVAILABLE
Roast Battle
Hannah Vaughan
RUGZ  image
RUGZ
Zach Marrache
Synagogues of Gibraltar  image
Public Vote Prize Winner
Synagogues of Gibraltar
Ruby Randall
The Painter  image
The Painter
Ana Tricker
The 'Patata' Man image
Judge’s Prize Winner
The ‘Patata’ Man
Georgia Truman-Davies
This is rubbish image
This is rubbish
Sofia Hillman Rota
Treasures of the Sea image
Treasures of the Sea
Claudia Costa
Touching Up My Mascara image
Touching Up My Mascara
Sienna Sene
Whispering Angels image
Whispering Angels
Dante Jimenez
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait
left arrow
right arrow
01 / 20

Laura Blake

Bubbles are the Window to the Soul image

Laura Blake

Bubbles are the Window to the Soul
School: Prior Park
Dimension: 42 x 29 cm
Medium: Photograph using Nikon 5600 camera
Age: 16

During my GCSE Art, whilst exploring fragmentation and distortion in portraiture, I experimented with different photographical dynamics. I asked my friend to be my model in a photoshoot and it resulted in pouring a bubble bath to capture her beauty and mermaid essence in an abstract perspective. Hesitant at first, my model and I pushed the boundaries when adjusting the fundamentals of lighting and composition until we captured the perfect photo reflecting the beauty within the chaos of water, bubbles, and pink hair. Her striking blue eyes stare directly into the camera creating a focal point.
“Eyes are the window to the soul” William Shakespeare, which perfectly reflects the purity and fragility of the human soul. Bubbles are stereotyped as a childish trigger of happiness, but I have contradicted that and presented them as a deep and meaningful prop to highlight beauty.

02 / 20

Alba Bocarisa

Canadian suburbs  image

Alba Bocarisa

Canadian suburbs
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 92 x 62cm
Medium: Acrylic on paper
Age: 15

This painting is inspired by the art of urban streets, my project focus was signs which is why I had the stop sign stand out more that the rest of the painting. The artist that inspired this style was Shawn Demarest but mainly her ‘Urban Sprawl’ project. I incorporated certain techniques and styles of hers into my painting. This painting was dedicated to a special friend of mine who lives in Canada and went out of her way to take this photo for me to paint, if I do happen to win the competition, I will use the money to fly to see her and hopefully give her this painting as a welcome gift for taking such an amazing photo. My painting also represents the ideas of the suburban lifestyles in Canadian suburbs that we don’t see here in Gibraltar often.

03 / 20

Annalise Cisarego

Cascades onto River Fowey, Cornwall image

Annalise Cisarego

Cascades onto River Fowey, Cornwall
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 42 x 59 cm
Medium: Oil on board
Age: 16

I was immediately inspired by the wonderful colours of nature, the impressive cascades, ancient oaks, and moss-covered beech trees. On a nature walk, which I was fortunate to visit in July 2022, I was carried away into a stunning mythical world. I had the opportunity to paint nature landscapes for my GCSE coursework, and I decided to try using oil paints, which, in my opinion, work very well for this type of artwork. I then soon realised that oil paints were my preferred medium, which was then used throughout my GCSE coursework. The Golitha Falls are a series of spectacular cascades and waterfalls through a section of the River Fowey in Cornwall, named the Goltha Falls National Nature Reserve.

04 / 20

Lauren Bennett

Copy of Lucian Freud’s “John Deakin”  image

Lauren Bennett

Copy of Lucian Freud’s “John Deakin” 
School: Prior Park
Dimension: 41 x 28cm
Medium: Acrylic paint on paper
Age: 15

I chose to recreate this oil piece by Lucien Freud. My reinterpretation was in acrylic paint to show a different effect on the model’s face. The portrait has an unsettling look which gives an uncanny valley effect. I chose to research this artist as part of my GCSE coursework as his work is dissimilar to most portraiture artists. Personally, I used this artwork as an inspiration to fabricate it in my own point of view.

05 / 20

Jeremy McMahon

Disturbing alloy image

Jeremy McMahon

Disturbing alloy
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 55 x 38 cm
Medium: Indian ink, fineliner, watercolour
Age: 18

I intended to examine the construction around Gibraltar, which disturbs the people and produces a lot of noise pollution, as I was constructing this piece. My travels to Eastern Beach during the summer of 2022 were vibrant, full with families and friends. But I’ve always heard tales about how the construction outside annoys both residents and visitors. This resulted in my using the building as a subject for my A-level course. I used structured pen work to illustrate the amount of noise generated by building, utilising oil paints as a guide to create clusters of cacophony. While creating this piece I needed inspiration for the type of look and style I was looking for, Ian Murphy was a huge help in blending oil paints with fine-liners.

06 / 20

Julianne Podesta

Flat Bastion Road image

Julianne Podesta

Flat Bastion Road
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 75 x 50 cm
Medium: Acrylic painting
Age: 15

An acrylic painting based on James Kroner’s techniques.

07 / 20

Sophie Ariane Selby

Flowers on Gibraltar image

Sophie Ariane Selby

Flowers on Gibraltar
School: Prior Park
Dimension: 76 x 56 cm
Medium: Digital artwork created using Photoshop 
Age: 13

I created this piece to symbolise the beauty of Gibraltar. Gibraltar has been a beacon of my education for which I feel very grateful for and encouraged by. My inspiration for this artwork was Gibraltar National Day so the colours of the flag are infused through the piece and Gibraltar’s iconic Rock is also a key artistic feature.

08 / 20

Kiaine Bosano

Hospital hill at dusk  image

Kiaine Bosano

Hospital hill at dusk
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 100 x 70 cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas.
Age: 16

I painted this as a final piece in my GCSE coursework which as a result I got an A* in. I usually paint faces, flowers and so on but never houses. I then thought as I never paint houses I should experiment with bright colors in a dark setting.

09 / 20

Ryn Rosado

Open Your Eyes image

Ryn Rosado

Open Your Eyes
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 76 x 56cm
Medium: Acrylic on Paper
Age: 17

This is a portrait of my reflection. It shows something as simple as mascara being used to portray both femenine and masculine features. I believe anyone should be able to use make-up to express themselves without judgement, no matter their gender. I see make-up as an artistic medium. It can be used in an infinite amount of different ways to create an unlimited amount of art. This painting reflects someone’s first experience experimenting with make-up to express themselves, from the safety of their own room, free from judgement. The ablity to express your true self is a form of the purest happiness on the earth, it should be respected and treasured as everybody has only their own one life to live.

10 / 20

Emily Hermida

OS35 image

Emily Hermida

OS35
School: Westside School
Dimension: 61 x 61cm
Medium: Acrylic  on wooden board
Age: 18

This painting symbolises the ship and the damage that mankind can create when not taken care of properly. The liquified movement of the ship represents the oil spill it produced & the affects it had on our environment. This is a painting of the actual OS35 ship from Gibraltar which i modified to show the oil spill within.

11 / 20

Sebastien Gorny

Roast Battle image

Sebastien Gorny

Roast Battle
School: Prior Park
Dimension: 21 x 29cm
Medium: Clone photography
Age: 16

This picture is me duplicated 3 times in my grandparents’ house in Scotland, Glasgow. I needed to do a photoshoot for my Coursework. I didn’t have a plan before the photoshoot until it just clicked, clone photography. This is my first photoshoot of clone photography. I chose to create a sort of ‘Roast Battle’ as it occurs many times in my school. Thank you for giving me this extraordinary opportunity.

12 / 20

Hannah Vaughan

RUGZ  image

Hannah Vaughan

RUGZ
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 100 x 100cm
Medium: Acrylic on wood board
Age: 16

This piece was a part of my GCSE coursework, the aim of my coursework was to help beautify rubbish by enhancing the vibrant colours of the things left to the side as well as bringing the picture to life.

13 / 20

Zach Marrache

Synagogues of Gibraltar  image

Zach Marrache

Synagogues of Gibraltar
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 42 x 59cm
Medium: Ink on paper
Age: 18

My artwork shows the inside of Nefusot Yehuda Synagogue, Gibraltar. I chose this because I grew up going to this synagogue and it has been the beacon of my religion. It one of the historical landmarks in Gibraltar and besides carrying out religious services it is visited regularly by tourists from all around the world.

14 / 20

Ruby Randall

The Painter  image

Ruby Randall

The Painter
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 160 x 120cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Age: 15

This is my final piece for the end of my GCSE first year. This piece captures the Impressionistic style of the Renaissance era. I am fascinated with old, worn-down areas and feel a sense of beauty in their tattered, antiquated disarray. The clothing provides movement to the image. Laundry moves, it isn’t like a static wall or building; it has a personalised sensation to it which I wanted to express in my piece.

The piece is composed of colour matching, capturing light and how it compromised aspects of the painting along with bringing to life the textured feeling of the picture. The story behind this image is that of a painter that lives in the frayed homes of upper town Gibraltar. His clothing is what I have captured along with the aged surroundings he lives in.

The white staining in encapsulates who this image represents. Where the perspective of the illustration envelops the living of the more lower-class working lifestyle, in the deficient and fatty disarray of society.

The piece is composed of colour matching, capturing light and how it compromised aspects of the painting along with bringing to life the textured feeling of the picture. The story behind this image is that of a painter that lives in the frayed homes of upper town Gibraltar. His clothing is what I have captured along with the aged surroundings he lives in. The image is representative of the more former and antiqued livings that still remain in our modernized society.

The white staining is fundamental in encapsulating who this image represents. Where the perspective of the illustration envelops the living of the more lower class working lifestyle in the deficient and fatty disarray of society.

15 / 20

Ana Tricker

The 'Patata' Man image

Ana Tricker

The ‘Patata’ Man
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 84 x 59cm
Medium: Acrylic on paper
Age: 15

This painting holds a great significance in my life as it is my favourite beach. Rota beach is very special to me, and this painting shows the moment the ‘Patata Man’ (the man that sells crisps on the beach) stops for customers. He rings his bell so that everybody knows he’s there.

16 / 20

Georgia Truman-Davies

This is rubbish image

Georgia Truman-Davies

This is rubbish
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 120 x 156 cm
Medium: Soda cans, cardboard, acrylic paint, charcoal and chalk
Age: 16

During my GCSE year I increased my knowledge of and gained confidence in painting with acrylics. As part of my development I investigated different objects and scenes that worked best with my style of painting. Whilst testing old and recycled aluminium cans I realised by painting in acrylics I was able to make the scene lifelike. As the theme was recycled and rubbish I experimented and found cardboard offered an interesting media. Roughening up and ripping areas of the cardboard gave more texture and effect to my piece. I gathered inspiration to use cardboard from Daniel Butterworth as he was famous for painting on cardboard. William Eggleston gave me the idea of cans as he worked with PopArt and focused on one object

17 / 20

Sofia Hillman Rota

Treasures of the Sea image

Sofia Hillman Rota

Treasures of the Sea
School: Prior Park
Dimension: 30x30cm (x3)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Age: 16

I draw my inspiration from the wondrous gift that is nature. Growing up by the ocean, I cherish the soothing rhythms of the waves, the invigorating sea air, and the countless memories it weaves. However, I’ve come to realise that many take nature for granted, often abusing it for selfish desires. The weight of humanity’s impact on our environment, the delicate balance of life, and the vital, cleansing role of the sea weighs heavy on my heart.
Motivated by this awareness, I embarked on a painting project to convey the guilt that comes with being part of our planet’s decline. Through a trilogy of exquisite oysters against a sombre backdrop, I emphasise the beauty and significance of our oceans, likening them to a filter that purifies our world. The oysters symbolise hope for positive change, much like how they transform sand into precious pearls. The dark background accentuates the urgency of global warming.
The intricate details in my art invite observers to feel a sense of responsibility for our planet. Each individual plays a role in creating a more sustainable world. The pearl-less oysters symbolise the work that remains to be done. My hope is that this trilogy serves as a reminder of the exquisite gift of nature and the pressing need to address climate change, ensuring that future generations can continue to marvel at its wonders.

18 / 20

Claudia Costa

Touching Up My Mascara image

Claudia Costa

Touching Up My Mascara
School: Westside School
Dimension: 84 x 59cm
Medium: Mixed media – watercolour with coloured pencil, real makeup & paper-cutting.
Age: 17

For my A-level mock exam, I investigated an unhealthy relationship with makeup & beauty due to societal pressure. This piece is about being so obsessive and compulsive with beauty & the finer details it is to the point where it becomes destructive. I used real red lipstick & lip liner for the blood & the lips to emphasise the connection between makeup & its destructive nature.

19 / 20

Sienna Sene

Whispering Angels image

Sienna Sene

Whispering Angels
School: Westside School
Dimension: 70 x 50cm
Medium: Acrylic and watercolour on A2 paper
Age: 16

This piece displays two figures, which are both depictions of myself. The angel in the foreground represents “good”, as indicated by the halo, which is radiating a profound light upon everything. However, the angel is being whispered to by the “evil” angel in the background, showing how “good” and “evil” are influenced by each other, and emphasises that they are not as polarised as everyone believes. Ultimately, one cannot exist without the other.
The composition was inspired by Alexandre Cabanel’s “The Fallen Angel”. The emotion captured in his piece perfectly matched my vision of angels, as it focuses on the duality between “good” and “evil”. Similar pieces and styles from the Renaissance period also greatly inspired me, such as the chiaroscuro technique, infamously employed by Caravaggio, which allowed me to create strong contrasts between luminosity and shadows. I also worked with a selection of cold-toned colours, that contributed to the dramatic nature of the composition.

20 / 20

Dante Jimenez

Self Portrait image

Dante Jimenez

Self Portrait
School: Bayside Comprehensive School
Dimension: 30 x 42cm
Medium: Magazines and PVA glue
Age: 17

This piece is inspired by Jenny Saville with her squashed face piece. I have done this piece for my A level coursework. It was used because of my chosen personal category linked with emotions. I chose this category because of the difficult time I had dealing with a family member having a fatal illness last year.

left arrow left arrow hover
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
Self Portrait image
right arrow right arrow hover

Thanks for voting!

Shattered Reality by Keith Fernandes Key Dates mobile image

Key Dates

Submission Period

22 May — 13 October

Shortlist Announcement

2 November —

Finalists Exhibition

20 November — 1 December

Awards Ceremony

— 30 November

Events and Exhibitions

Gibraltar Students Prize Exhibition

Venue: Xapo Bank, Gibraltar
Opening Times: Monday-Friday; 9am-5pm
Dates: 20 November-1 December
Admission: Free

 

Judges

Howard Bilton image
Howard Bilton
Founder and Chairman  
Howard Bilton image

Howard Bilton

Founder and Chairman  

Howard Bilton is Chairman and founder of The Sovereign Group. Howard holds a joint honours BA degree in classics and law from the University of Keele and is qualified as a Barrister and called to the Bars of England/Wales and Gibraltar.  

He is a visiting non-resident professor at Texas A and M University where he assists with their LLM and Masters degrees in International Tax and Offshore Centres.  

In 2003 he formed The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) which runs a range of art prizes designed to increase the exposure of artists in the region, while raising money to help disadvantaged children.  

SAF has raised over US$11 million which has been used to help thousands of disadvantaged children using expressive arts as a means of education and rehabilitation.  

Howard has a personal art collection comprising around 420 pieces made by a wide range of artists from students to internationally famous artists.   

He has acted as a judge on various Sovereign sponsored art prizes in Hong Kong, Bahrain, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, London, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal and Singapore.  He has also acted as a nominator for the Sovereign professional prizes in Africa and Portugal. 

Howard is the Founder and Chairman of Howard’s Folly Wines, Portugal. All wines use art on the labels and often feature work by finalists of the various Sovereign art prizes or children taught by SAF. A proportion of the revenue from wine sales goes to support SAF. 

 

Naomi Martinez image
Naomi Martinez
Artist
Naomi Martinez image

Naomi Martinez

Artist

Naomi Martinez is a multidisciplinary artist living in Gibraltar. Naomi holds a BA in Fine Art Photography from Camberwell Collage of Arts London (UAL)

Sebastian Rodriguez image
Sebastian Rodriguez
Artist
Sebastian Rodriguez image

Sebastian Rodriguez

Artist

Sebastian Rodriguez is a local artist who paints mostly from life and runs Face Frames Gallery, where he exhibits his work and runs his picture framing business. Sebastian also teaches a Draw from Life Course at the Gibraltar College of Further Education, where he cascades knowledge learnt in various academies and workshops. Sebastian judged the 2020 Young Artist Competition organised by the Ministry of Culture. His first solo exhibition “Day & Night” is at the Fine Arts Gallery in October 2023, showcasing his plein air paintings and an invitation to a dream collaboration he is developing with Patrizia Imossi.

Sponsors

Lead Sponsor
SPGibraltar2023
Organiser

Supported by

With Additional Support

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists