We are delighted to announce that Orkney-based artist Samantha Clark has received the inaugural RSA MacRobert Art Award for Painting.
Funded by the MacRobert Trust, the award intends to provide the time and financial assistance for a committed painter whose circumstances have, for whatever reason, made it difficult to focus upon and develop their artistic talent. Samantha Clark will receive £20,000, which will fund a 12-month period of research and development for a new body of work which will be exhibited at the Academy.
Samantha describes her work as ‘a meditation on water and time, and a response to the dynamic natural environment of Orkney’. She intends to use the funds to spend an intensive period of creative immersion in the waters in and around Orkney, exploring how painting can sensitively attend and respond to this challenging and vital element.
Samantha Clark said: ‘I had to read the email several times because I couldn’t quite take it in! The implications of this award and what it will enable me to do are still sinking in. This opportunity to set aside other income-generating work and immerse myself in painting for a significant period of time to really push myself creatively and professionally, is transformational, a gift beyond words. I can’t thank the MacRobert Trust enough for their generosity.’
We're delighted to begin our collaboration with the MacRobert Trust by supporting Samantha Clark’s painting practice, and we look forward to seeing the undoubtedly exciting results!
