Deimantas Pocuis from Discovery Primary School in Thamesmead scooped second prize for his striking print of a Hawksbill turtle. It was made using clay and ink with a technique called relief printing. Photos of the winning artwork were displayed in light on the billboard at London's famous Piccadilly Circus on the 2nd November.
As world leaders from 190 countries gather for the UN climate summit in Egypt, young people across London have been expressing their own artistic response to the climate crisis. Deimantas Pocuis from Discovery Primary School in Thamesmead scooped second prize for his striking print of a Hawksbill turtle. It was made using clay and ink with a technique called relief printing.
His work was chosen by a group of seventeen-year-old students who judged all the submissions. The winning entry came from a Year 6 pupil in Tower Hamlets, depicting a single plastic bottle floating in the ocean, and third place went to a pupil from Foxfield Primary in Woolwich for a monoprint called The Sinking Ship.
The Young London Print Prize is a competition launched during the Covid pandemic which aims to inspire and showcase the work of young artists. Uniquely, all the work is created and judged by young people themselves. 1,311 pupils from 23 schools took part this year.
Adriana Marques, Head of Cultural Strategy at Peabody, said: “Congratulations from everyone at Peabody to Deimantas! To scoop second prize from more than 1,300 entries across the capital is a massive achievement. His beautifully crafted print of an endangered species is outstanding – a sharp reminder of the climate crisis we’re facing and the need for us all to take action. It’s both humbling and inspiring to think of so many artworks being submitted by young people on this issue, and we’re grateful to them all for taking part. I hope to see more inspirational work from Diemantas and other local youngsters in the future, as we continue to support the next generation of talent in Thamesmead through our diverse cultural programme.
Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities at the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “It’s a huge honour to present Deimantas and Prithvi with their Young London Print Prizes. We strive to make Royal Greenwich a great place to learn and grow up, and their fantastic artwork highlights the talent and creativity that is being nurtured within our rich and diverse communities. We’re also committed to making Royal Greenwich a cleaner and greener borough for generations to come, so it’s great to see how passionate our young people are about this issue.”
You can see the work of these young artists on display at Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair from 3-6 November 2022. They are being exhibited alongside more than 500 artists from across the globe, including big names such as Grayson Perry, Yinka Shonibare, Gavin Turk and Julian Opie at Woolwich Works, London’s latest creative district.
If you or your school are interested in taking part in the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair next year, please contact: matt@woolwichprintfair.com
