Dulwich student awarded scholarship and shortlisted for Saatchi Prize

“How lucky I am that in my twelve years in this profession, I have spent four of them teaching Sebastian.” says Shelley Swain, Head of Art and Graphic Design at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong. She is talking about Year 13 student Sebastian, who was not only awarded a scholarship to the Rhode Island School of Design, but was shortlisted for the Saatchi Gallery Art Prize for Schools. The Saatchi Art Prize is a very prestigious art competition that attracts thousands of entries every year. From the 24,000 entries, just 20 artists were shortlisted.

Shelley continues, “His photograph, entitled The Last Lesson, is a satirical remake of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and captures who Sebastian is as an artist and observer of the world. As a draftsman, his drawings are exceptional. However, over the last two years Sebastian has often turned his back on his traditional fine art talents to pursue much riskier and challenging methods and pathways. He is highly competent in both digital and hand-made media, and his outcomes always offer an intelligent and often witty narrative. This is also a reflection of Sebastian’s character. He is an unassuming student, and it is easy to mistake his calm and reflective nature for shyness. However, upon engaging in conversations about his work, it is clear that he has a lot of confidence and charisma.”

The exhibition of the 20 shortlisted works will take place 4th-13th July 2017 at the Saatchi Gallery, London. The winner and runner up prizes will be announced on the 4th July at an awards evening.

We offer Sebastian our warmest congratulations in all that he has achieved so far, and the very best of luck in his future endeavours.

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