Ingrid Murphy wins Glynn Vivian prize

The annual award is given to an artist living and working in Wales, whose work is purchased for the gallery's permanent collection, and will be on display at the gallery in spring this year.

The recipient for The Wakelin Award 2022 is Ingrid Murphy.

Previous award winners include Brendan Stuart Burns, Anthony Shapland, Catrin Webster, Jonathan Anderson, Meri Wells, David Cushway, Helen Sear, Clare Woods, Alexander Duncan, Philip Eglin, Richard Billingham, Cinzia Mutigli and Anya Paintsil.

This year's selector is Swansea-based artist and lecturer Catrin Webster. Catrin has exhibited nationally and internationally. She is a previous winner of the award, selected 14 years ago.

Catrin Webster said: "As a Swansea-based artist and educator the Glynn Vivian is such an important part of my cultural experience.

"The combination of contemporary exhibitions and the historic collection is a huge source of inspiration to me and to the many people, including artists and students in the city and far beyond.

"I was delighted to be invited to nominate an artist for the Wakelin Award, and also aware of both the opportunity and responsibility to suggest an artist whose work would become part of the collection and the fabric of our contemporary culture and heritage.

"Ingrid Murphy has made a significant contribution to this, both in her teaching at Cardiff Met, and through her exquisite, thought provoking and playful work, which often speaks to the histories of popular ceramics within the Welsh tradition.

"I have nominated Ingrid, as I believe the significance of her contribution to visual culture in Wales needs to be represented in our national collections."

Ingrid Murphy is a practicing ceramic artist, whose work focuses on augmenting ceramic artefacts with a range of interactive technologies.

Through her work, she exploits and plays with the boundaries of ceramic material to create innovative and playful interactions and experiences for gallery visitors.

She uses sound, humour and autobiographical elements, creating engaging ceramic works, which also bring to life the deeper historical and social histories of ceramic objects and their intended uses. Ingrid Murphy was born in Ireland and lives and works in Cardiff. 

She is currently principal lecturer for transdisciplinarity at Cardiff School of Art & Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Ingrid said: "I am delighted to be this year's recipient of the Wakelin Award, and feel very honoured that I will be joining the prestigious collective of previous winners.

"The Wakelin Award enables the museum to develop a growing collection which celebrates the truly diverse artistic practice of Wales and it is wonderful and encouraging to have this form of recognition for my work. 

"As a maker of interactive objects, it is also a joy to know that the work will be displayed for full public engagement at the Glynn Vivian.

My heartfelt thanks to the selector and previous Wakelin winner Catrin Webster, and to the Friends of the Glynn Vivian and the Wakelin family for their continuous support of the award."

The Award is administered and supported by the Friends of the Glynn Vivian and is generously supported by donations in memory of Richard and Rosemary Wakelin and their son Martin, who were themselves artists and active supporters of the arts in Swansea.

Dr Peter Wakelin, said: "Living in Swansea for nearly 40 years,our family really valued the established collection at the Glynn Vivian, as well as the new art that was being created. My parents gave a lot of their time to the Gallery and the Friends.

"They would be really pleased to see such interesting artists being represented in the collection thanks to this award scheme."

Jayne Woodman, chair of the Friends of the Glynn Vivian: "The Wakelin award, now in its 22nd year, offers contemporary artists and makers financial recognition and the joy of being part of the Glynn Vivian's permanent collection.

"The work of Ingrid Murphy, the 2022 winner, is a wonderful addition; it is an honour to be able to share this work with the gallery's broad audiences. 

"The Friends of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery have worked in partnership with Peter Wakelin and his family since 2000 when this important award was launched; enabling continued support for the gallery; its audiences and many artists across Wales."

Karen MacKinnon, curator, Glynn Vivian, said: "We are delighted to be able to add Ingrid's work to the permanent collection and very grateful to Peter Wakelin and the rest of the Wakelin family and the Friends of the Glynn Vivian for making this possible.

"The works we are able to purchase explore key strands she returns to in her practice including the interface between ceramics and technology and encouraging a playful engagement with those who experience her works.

"There is also an autobiographical quality to some of her works, which is in conversation with the broader histories of ceramics. Thank you so much to Ingrid for this wonderful work and to Catrin for being such a thoughtful selector."

The award is administered and supported by the Friends of the Glynn Vivian, together with donations in memory of Richard and Rosemary Wakelin.