An Icelandic student has been awarded a prestigious prize by the University of Cumbria.
Guðný Magnúsdóttir, a BA (hons) fine art graduate was awarded the esteemed Derwent Prize for Excellence.
The Derwent Prize for Excellence is awarded to individuals who demonstrate outstanding skill, creativity, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
The University of Cumbria has been in partnership with art materials brand Derwent, which makes the majority of its products in the county.
Tracy Strong, manager of the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, and Catherine Coulson, museum supervisor, joined recent celebrations at Carlisle Cathedral to honour Guðný’s remarkable achievement.
During her time on the BA (hons) fine art programme, Guðný has created an outstanding body of work, with an ambitious use of non-conventional approaches to drawing and figuration.
The university said she had departed from an existing skillset grounded in traditional methods of drawing and painting and shown a fantastic work ethic, determination and courage in her taking on a range of new approaches and processes in order to achieve a challenging synthesis of drawing, figure and installation.
Her resulting large-scale figurative tableaux has been a unique achievement within both her developing practice and the wider context of the fine art programme, it added.
Over the past decade, the university’s partnership with Derwent has provided invaluable support and opportunities for emerging artists, fostering a vibrant community of creativity and innovation.
Tracy said: “It has been a pleasure to be involved with the Derwent Prize for Excellence over the last 10 years.
“The calibre of work created every year by so many talented artists continues to inspire future generations.
“We are proud to honour these exceptional artists who inspire us all with their dedication and vision. Congratulations to Guðný on winning the Derwent Prize this year.”
Guðný added: “This means a lot. I have kids and family in Iceland. Finishing my BA degree, it has been a dream since I was a little girl and finally I’ve got all this way. I’m going to continue; I want to study more and finish my master’s also.”
