Artists Of The Year 2017

Mixed-media Artist Anna Perlin Is the Winner of Our Ninth Annual Competition. She Talks to Sally Hales About Her Prize-winning Artwork and Her Hopes for the Future.

- Sally Hales

Sending your carefully crafted, painstakingly thought-out and often highly personal work out into the world to be judged is a major milestone for any artist. And while the root of great art is usually found in a personal response to the world, validation is something everyone occasionally craves. For our winner, Anna Perlin, the joy in her victory lies in the confirmation that her decision to commit herself to art was correct.

“Winning was absolutely amazing and a huge surprise as there were some fabulous artists shortlisted,” says Anna. “Although I paint for myself, to be recognised in this way is very rewarding. It helps justify the journey I’ve gone through. I’ve made so many mistakes, but I know I’m doing a lot right now.”

The confidence to enter came from her own satisfaction with her finished artwork. “I had Brambles and Bluebells on my wall and loved it,” she says. “I felt happy putting it up for someone else to judge because it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I loved it enough anyway.”

Although it’s the first time Anna has entered Artists of the Year, she is a firm believer in the competition. “It’s daunting,” she says, “But you have nothing to lose and everything to win.”

THE ARTIST ON HER WINNING WORK