RAW UMBER STUDIOS PRIZE 2025 WINNER:
FLORENCE YUQING
WITH HER PORTRAIT TITLED ‘Self: Familiar Yet Unknown’
Raw Umber Studios believes that the most exciting contemporary portraiture lies at the intersection of technical excellence and creative expression. Their annual prize, inaugurated in 2023, encourages and rewards such work. Value £2,000.
‘I was delighted to win the Raw Umber Studios Prize for my portrait Self: Familiar Yet Unknown at the 2025 RP Annual Exhibition, which was a real milestone for me. This marked my fourth consecutive year exhibiting with the RP, having first shown my work in 2022, and I was also honoured to receive the RP Prize for Best Small Portrait in 2024. Receiving two awards in four years has been incredibly encouraging and deeply motivating.
Self: Familiar Yet Unknown is a portrait that explores the tension between self-recognition and mystery—the idea that we can know ourselves and yet still be surprised by our own complexities.
Exhibiting with the RP has been an enriching experience each year: the opportunity to connect with fellow artists, engage in thoughtful conversations with members, and share my work with a wider audience has been truly invaluable.
Receiving the Raw Umber Studios Prize has had a significant impact on my practice. It has given me more confidence in my approach and encouraged me to continue exploring the theme of self-portraiture, leading to a more productive and exciting year of painting. I am currently developing my portrait work further, focusing on themes of identity and perception, and preparing for upcoming exhibitions.
I am always deeply grateful to the RP’s members and judges for recognising my work, and to Raw Umber Studios for this prestigious support. Such recognition is incredibly motivating and truly deepens my passion for portraiture. I would encourage any portrait artist not to hesitate in applying for the RP Annual Exhibition Open Call—such a remarkable opportunity can represent a real turning point in one’s practice.’
–Florence Yuqing
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