Competitions aim to ‘showcase the work of Irish artists and encourage interest in contemporary Irish portraiture’.

Ryan O'Sullivan's 'Life is a Drag’, was among 26 works shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize.

Kit French's 'Light Though the Window’, was among 26 works shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize.

Rebecca O’Donoghue’s ‘Sam Won’t Eat His Conflakes’, was among 20 works shortlisted for the Zurich Young Portrait Prize.

A TRIO of Cork artists have been shortlisted in two prestigious portrait competitions run annually by the National Gallery of Ireland.

They are among 46 artists from around the country selected from hundreds of entrants to be included on the 2023 Zurich Portrait Prize and the Zurich Young Portrait Prize shortlists.

Kit French’s oil on canvas self portrait ‘Light Through The Window’ and Ryan O’Sullivan’s photograph ’Life is a Drag’ were among 26 works shortlisted in the Portrait Prize, with Rebecca O’Donoghue one of 20 artists shortlisted in the Young Portrait Prize for her pencil and poster paint on work ‘Sam Won’t Eat His Cornflakes’.

The Portrait Prize shortlist includes paintings, sculpture and photographs, demonstrating what National Gallery of Ireland director Dr Caroline Campbell said was the “breadth of contemporary Irish art”.

The eventual winner will receive a cash prize of €15,000 and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection, for which they will be awarded a further €5,000.

Two additional awards of €1,500 will be given to works highly commended by the judging panel of artist Dorothy Cross, RHA; Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery in London and London and Anne Stewart, senior curator of art, National Museums Northern Ireland.

Dr Campbell said the Young Portrait Prize for artists ranging in age from four to 18 and now in its fifth year, was a “showcase for the artistic talent of young people from across the island of Ireland.”

Five winners from each of age categories selected by the judging panel of Jessica O’Donnell, head of education and community outreach at Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery; writer, broadcaster and journalist Ola Majekodunmi and visual artist/creator Tom McLean, will receive a bespoke art box and a cash prize.

The overall winner will be awarded a personalised wooden box of high-quality art materials and a cash prize of €500.

All 20 shortlisted entrants will have their artwork professionally framed/prepared.

Exhibitions of the shortlisted works in both competitions run at the National Gallery of Ireland from 2 December 2023 and 10 March 2024.

Dr Campbell said the overarching aim of both competitions was to “showcase the work of Irish artists and encourage an interest in contemporary Irish portraiture.”

“Each year, the artists shortlisted demonstrate an incredible breadth of Irish artistic talent. We’re proud to partner with Zurich Insurance plc once again this year and we look forward to seeing who and what has inspired artists of all ages to create portraits in 2023,” said Dr Campbell.