A former barmaid turned self-taught painter is in the running for one of the art world’s most prestigious prizes.
Emma Hopkins, who specialises in nudes, has been shortlisted for the £35,000 BP Portrait Award. Her painting of her friend Sophie Mayanne and her pet dog Carla was one of four chosen from the 2,538 entries submitted by artists from 84 different countries.
The 29-year-old, who says she wants to “paint people from the inside out”, first showed her paintings at Chelsea Arts Club while she was working behind its bar.
Hopkins said she painted her friend because she wanted someone who would “allow me a freedom to explore”.
She added: “She has a lot of confidence in her body which helped me.” Hopkins, who lives in Brighton, briefly worked making prosthetic limbs for the theatre and films and said: “I want to understand what it means to be human. We are not just the clothed person we present to the world. We are the mind and body we inhabit.”
She said her experience creating fake body parts and realistic skin tones was a good grounding for her painting.
Also on the shortlist are Norwegian artist Carl-Martin Sandvold’s self-portrait and Italian painter Massimiliano Pironti’s portrait of his 95-year-old grandmother. It is completed by another Brighton-based artist, Charlie Schaffer, with his portrait of friend Imara.
The winner, chosen by a panel including artist Gary Hume, will be announced at the National Portrait Gallery on June 10.
The BP Award exhibition is at the National Portrait Gallery from June 13-Oct 20
