Charlotte Harris, an artist based in Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, has won the prestigious ING purchase prize of £5000 in the Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London for her painting “Strawberries and Cream”.

Best known for winning the BP Portrait Award in 2003 at the age of 21 with a painting of her grandmother, described at the time by Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, as “extraordinary and telling”, she has turned her focus to contemporary still life paintings in recent months.

One of 250 artists who were selected to exhibit work for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, she was chosen by Tim Barber, arts editor, who wrote in City AM about the experience of being a selector, “It gives you a view of the creative, visionary talent that, away from headlines and trends, bubbles away constantly and quietly, making artworks that will mean something to someone somewhere, and make a house a home.

Charlotte said, “I was delighted to exhibit work at this year’s Discerning Eye and to win the ING purchase prize. I have enjoyed working in portraiture over the last few years but am now widening my subject matter and am very pleased to get recognition for my recent still life work. Strawberries and Cream reflects my love of painting different textures such as glass and the skin of fruit. By detailed inspection I like to showcase the various qualities of the objects I paint and bring them to life.”

Yvette Illsley, spokesman for Folkestone’s Creative Quarter said, “We are thrilled that Charlotte’s work has been selected for such a prestigious prize and that she continues to be recognised for her outstanding work.”

This year Charlotte Harris had also exhibited works at the 2010 Affordable Art Fairs in London, New York and Singapore and has been showing her work regularly with the Fairfax Gallery in Tunbridge Wells and Chelsea. Charlotte’s artwork can be seen on her website at www.charlotte-harris.com

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