Clifford Chance

Frankie Rossi awards Clifford Chance Printmaking Purchase Prize 2017 to Matilde Damele

Guest judge Frankie Rossi, Director of the prestigious Marlborough Gallery, has selected Matilde Damele from Central Saint Martins as the winner of Clifford Chance's annual Purchase Prize. Now in its 21st consecutive year, Clifford Chance's annual Postgraduate Printmaking in London exhibition surveys London's art college graduates who use printmaking mediums, with the Purchase Prize now established as the premier prize on offer to the UK's postgraduate printmakers.

Frankie noted that "overall, the technical accomplishment of all the exhibitors is extremely high but what marked Damele's work out was its political content, and strong sense of locale." She added, "Matilde's use of materials was also extremely novel, and new to me".

Matilde Damele said, "It was a great honour to receive the Clifford Chance Purchase Prize 2017 and I am delighted that I was able to communicate through my images the feeling of an existential crisis. The Prize is an encouragement to complete my project Exiles and to continue experimenting with printmaking for future projects."

Through the Clifford Chance Purchase Prize, the artist's work will be acquired for the Clifford Chance art collection and funds provided for continued research in a print studio, to the combined value of £2000.

Simon Fletcher of the Clifford Chance art committee said, "A highlight of our art programme is the annual survey exhibition of the best printmaking being produced in London's postgraduate art colleges. We value the opportunity the exhibition gives us to showcase these new talents from our art schools. Through our support of a new generation of printmakers, we hope that the Purchase Prize encourages artists to continue to explore and experiment with the medium."