Ireland’s best portraits of 2024: National Gallery of Ireland announces AIB prize shortlists

Shortlisted entries will be exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland from November

Shortlisted for the AIB portrait prizes 2024: John and Fionnán, an oil on canvas painting by Darragh O'Connell
Shortlisted for the AIB portrait prizes 2024: John and Fionnán, an oil on canvas painting by Darragh O'Connell

The National Gallery of Ireland has revealed the 46 artists shortlisted for this year’s AIB portrait prizes.

The shortlist for the AIB Portrait Prize, which aims to show “the breadth of contemporary Irish art”, comprises 26 artists from across the island of Ireland working across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and photography.

The winner of the prize will receive €15,000 in cash and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection, for which they will be awarded a further €5,000. There will also be two other awards of €1,500 for highly commended entries.

David Stephenson, a fine art photographer and film-maker from Dublin, was selected as the winner of last year’s prize for his photograph, Ann and Ollie, Main Street, Wexford, after Dublin artist David Booth won the competition in 2022 for his painting, Salvatore, 2021.

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The judging panel this year consists of artist Hughie O’Donoghue, The Model director Emer McGarry and Simon O’Connor, director of the Museum of Literature Ireland.

Meanwhile, there were 20 young artists aged between three and 18 years old shortlisted for the AIB Young Portrait Prize, which is now in its sixth year. Five winners will be selected – one from each respective age category and an overall winner – and will receive a bespoke art box, with the overall winner also being awarded a €500 cash prize.

The judges are author-illustrator and motivational speaker Ashwin Chacko, visual street artist Emmalene Blake and Sheena Barrett, head of research and learning at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

An exhibition featuring a shortlist of portraits from both competitions will go on display in the National Gallery from November 9th, 2024, until March 9th, 2025.

AIB Portrait Prize 2024: The 26 shortlisted works

Robert Jackson, 'Beth in Low Light'
Robert Jackson, 'Beth in Low Light'
Are You Sitting Comfortably, by Harriet Casey
Are You Sitting Comfortably, by Harriet Casey
Camille, by Michael Wann
Camille, by Michael Wann
Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, by Laurence J McMahon (laurencejphotography.com)
Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, by Laurence J McMahon (laurencejphotography.com)
John and Fionnán, by Darragh O'Connell
John and Fionnán, by Darragh O'Connell
Sibling Travellers, by Beverley Healy
Sibling Travellers, by Beverley Healy
Jennifer McShane, by Neil-Jack Hamilton
Jennifer McShane, by Neil-Jack Hamilton
Martin Maguire, 'GameBoy'
Martin Maguire, 'GameBoy'
Ailbhe and Michelle, by Cara Rose
Ailbhe and Michelle, by Cara Rose
The Family Bowles and The Fiscal Black Hole, by David Hamilton
The Family Bowles and The Fiscal Black Hole, by David Hamilton
64, by Philip Thomas Crean
64, by Philip Thomas Crean
Ómra, by Conor O'Connell
Ómra, by Conor O'Connell
Self-subject; In bloom, by Joy Kavanagh
Self-subject; In bloom, by Joy Kavanagh
Lydia, by Amanda Dunsmore
Lydia, by Amanda Dunsmore
Miss Evans in her Sweetshop, by David Creedon
Miss Evans in her Sweetshop, by David Creedon
Fergus Martin, by Mick O'Dea
Fergus Martin, by Mick O'Dea
The Pox, by Emily McGardle
The Pox, by Emily McGardle
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Arann McCormack
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by Arann McCormack
Shane MacGowan At Home, 2021, by Ellius Grace
Shane MacGowan At Home, 2021, by Ellius Grace
Aoife on Dollymount, by Lorraine Dunne
Aoife on Dollymount, by Lorraine Dunne
Isabella Gerbola, Circus Gerbola, Tramore, 2023, by Caolán Barron
Isabella Gerbola, Circus Gerbola, Tramore, 2023, by Caolán Barron
10.07.1980, by Markela Iacovou
10.07.1980, by Markela Iacovou
Róisín Dubh, by Shane Coughlan
Róisín Dubh, by Shane Coughlan
Kwena Chokoe, by Gearóid Arthur Hayes
Kwena Chokoe, by Gearóid Arthur Hayes
Robyn, by Kevin Sharkey
Robyn, by Kevin Sharkey
Ireland housing story, by Rob Stothard
Ireland housing story, by Rob Stothard

AIB Portrait Prize 2024: The 26 shortlisted artists

  • Neil-Jack (Alphonsus) Hamilton (Donegal), Jennifer McShane, oil on canvas
  • Robert Jackson (Dublin), Beth in Low Light, oil on roughened brass plate
  • Arann McCormack (Wicklow), I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, photograph
  • Michael Wann (Sligo), Camille, Charcoal on Paper
  • Kevin Sharkey (Dublin), Robyn, photograph
  • Gearóid Arthur Hayes (Limerick), Kwena Chokoe, oil on board
  • Cara Rose (Dublin), Ailbhe and Michelle, coloured pencil on mounted paper
  • Robert Stothard (Leitrim), Carl in the Box Room, photograph
  • Markela Lacovou (Dublin), 10.07.1980, photograph edited in Photoshop and Illustrator, digital printing on canvas and manual work with hagiography pigments and caustic liquid
  • Amanda Dunsmore (Clare), Lydia, Dr Lydia Foy, 2022, filmed video portrait, silent, 18 mins
  • Beverley Healy (Antrim), Sibling Travellers, mixed media (egg tempera, oil, and acrylic) on panel
  • Caolán Barron (Wexford), Isabella Gerbola, Circus Gerbola, Tramore, 2023, photograph
  • Laurence J McMahon (Dublin), Mary Lou McDonald President of Sinn Féin, photograph
  • Conor O’Connell (Roscommon), Ómra, oil on copper panel
  • Ellius Grace (Dublin), Shane MacGowan At Home, 2021, photograph
  • David Hamilton (Armagh), The Family Bowles and The Fiscal Black Hole, acrylic on canvas
  • Philip Thomas Crean (Dublin), 64, photograph
  • Emily McGardle (Monaghan), The Pox, coloured pencil and pen on paper
  • Martin Maguire (Louth), GameBoy, oil on canvas
  • Darragh O’Connell (Dublin), John and Fionnán, oil on canvas
  • Lorraine Dunne (Westmeath), Aoife on Dollymount, oil on canvas
  • David Creedon (Cork), Miss Evans in her Sweetshop, photograph
  • Shane Coughlan (Dublin), Róisín Dubh, photograph on photo rag paper
  • Joy Kavanagh (Cork), Self-subject; In Bloom, acrylic on wooden board
  • Mick O’Dea (Clare), Fergus Martin, oil on canvas
  • Harriet Casey (Meath), Are You Sitting Comfortably?, oil on canvas

AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024: The 20 shortlisted works

Tumtha (Immersed), by Aoibhe Devereux, age 16
Tumtha (Immersed), by Aoibhe Devereux, age 16
My Little Sister, by Guorui Sui, age 10
My Little Sister, by Guorui Sui, age 10
Father's Day, by Victoria Yan-Rock, age 6
Father's Day, by Victoria Yan-Rock, age 6
Untitled, by Roman Petrova, age 9
Untitled, by Roman Petrova, age 9
Spring, by Taibat Rasheed, age 18
Spring, by Taibat Rasheed, age 18
My Mother, by Adam Wiercioch Chinatamunnee, age 8
My Mother, by Adam Wiercioch Chinatamunnee, age 8
Me in Chinese Traditional Dress, by Junxi Yi, age 11
Me in Chinese Traditional Dress, by Junxi Yi, age 11
Dawn in Molten Blue, by Julia Kardas, age 18
Dawn in Molten Blue, by Julia Kardas, age 18
Allanah the Mermaid, by Allanah McDonald Brown, age 5
Allanah the Mermaid, by Allanah McDonald Brown, age 5
My Hair at the End of the Day, by Rosie Dwyer, age 4
My Hair at the End of the Day, by Rosie Dwyer, age 4
One World, by Kate Glanville, age 16
One World, by Kate Glanville, age 16
My Younger Self, by Darragh Granahan, age 16
My Younger Self, by Darragh Granahan, age 16
Family Unit Joe, by Evan Ward, age 15
Family Unit Joe, by Evan Ward, age 15
Breakthrough, by Aoibhe O'Connor, age 15
Breakthrough, by Aoibhe O'Connor, age 15
Gill in the Garden and the Sun is Setting, by Hugo Cashell, age 5
Gill in the Garden and the Sun is Setting, by Hugo Cashell, age 5
My Mum, by Zihan He, age 15
My Mum, by Zihan He, age 15
My Best Friend, by Conor Mooney, age 11
My Best Friend, by Conor Mooney, age 11
Park Life, by Sarah Leyden, age 14
Park Life, by Sarah Leyden, age 14
Inner Reflection, by Avni Mittal, age 14
Inner Reflection, by Avni Mittal, age 14
Self Portrait of My Future Self, by Phelim McEvoy, age 3
Self Portrait of My Future Self, by Phelim McEvoy, age 3

AIB Young Portrait Prize 2024: The 20 shortlisted artists

  • Phelim McEvoy (Carlow), Self Portrait of my Future Self, pencil on paper
  • Junxi Yi (Meath), Me in Chinese Traditional Dress, oil pastel, nail polish, and gem stickers on canvas
  • Aoibhe O’Connor (Waterford), Breakthrough, acrylic on canvas
  • Avni Mittal (Cork), Inner Reflection, acrylic on canvas
  • Sarah Leyden (Dublin), Park Life, oil on canvas
  • Zihan He (Dublin), My Mum, acrylic on canvas
  • Taibat Rasheed (Dublin), Spring, graphite on paper
  • Darragh Granahan (Galway), My Younger Self, acrylic on canvas
  • Conor Mooney (Dublin), My Best Friend, pencil and oil pastel on canvas
  • Allanah McDonald Brown (Wicklow), Allanah The Mermaid, mixed media
  • Victoria Yan-Rock (Dublin), Father’s Day, oil pastel on paper
  • Rosie Dwyer (Wicklow), My Hair at the End of the Day, paint, markers, and pencils on paper
  • Hugo Cashell (Meath), Gill in the Garden and the Sun is Setting, acrylic ink on paper
  • Adam Wiercioch Chinatamunnee (Cavan), My Mother, oil pastel on paper
  • Roman Petrova (Limerick), Vivid Impressions, coloured pencil on paper
  • Guorui Sui (Dublin), My Little Sister, oil on canvas
  • Evan Ward (Dublin), Family Unit Joe, clay
  • Aoibhe Devereux, Tumtha (Immersed), acrylic on canvas board
  • Julia Kardas (Clare), Dawn in Molten Blue, acrylic and pastel on paper
  • Kate Glanville (Dublin), One World, pencil and paint on paper