Sculpture Network announces the winners of the Emerging Sculptor Award

Sculpture Network is thrilled to announce the winners of the Emerging Sculptor Award. For the first time, three prizes are awarded to support the selected artists' creative journey. The 1st Prize was granted to Ruta Putramentaite (b. 1989, LT), the 2nd Prize to Jindřiška Jabůrkova (b. 1995, CZ), and the 3rd Prize to Nevena Ekimova (b. 1984, BG).

Sculpture Network promotes sculpture by creating a community of artists, art professionals, curators, and lovers of sculpture in Europe and beyond. Our members have the opportunity to present their works on our website and benefit from our scope. We connect sculpture lovers through our website, newsletter, social media, and our live and online events.

The Curatorial Board of Sculpture Network, artist and co-founder Hartmut Stielow, and art historian Laure Debouttiere proposed creating the Emerging Sculptor Award to encourage and support upcoming sculptors aged 25-40. 

The winner of the first prize will receive €3,500, the second prize secures €2,500, and the third prize is awarded €1,500. The winners also receive a free one-year membership of Sculpture Network. Their work will be promoted through our newsletter and social media, and the Online Club. Please join us for Sculpture Network’s Awards Night on Monday, February 26 at 20.00.

Sculpture Network’s coordinators, Susanne Ahrenkiel, Marina Bauer, Neus Bergua, Anne Berk, Frank Nordiek, Hilde van Canneyt, and Anemone Vostell, nominated 32 candidates. As art professionals and artists, they have an insight into the art scene in their own countries and neighbouring regions. 

The jury consisted of Hartmut Stielow, Laure Debouttiere, the artist and curator Philipp Morlock, and the artist and independent chairman Blake Ward. After reviewing 32 impressive candidates’ profiles and portfolios, the jury made its choice based on the criteria of artistic innovation and openness to experimentation, as well as the candidates' commitment to the medium of sculpture.

After careful consideration, the jury nominated Ruta Putramentaite, Jindřiška Jabůrkova, and Nevena Ekimova, whose work impressed the jury most. We are excited to see their future contributions to the art world.

Jury report

1st place to Ruta Putramentaite (b. 1989, LT)

Ruta Putramentaite has embarked on a distinctive and interactive path to explore the question of what it means to be human in the 21st century. She navigates the border between personal and collective traces, focusing on the asymmetrical relationship between nature and humanity. In her works across various media, including sculpture, writing, audio, and performance, the reproduction of adopted messages is intertwined with her own agenda.

We encounter fragments of the legacy of human activities and their impact on the environment. Through her installations, the intertwining of industrial and natural processes is revealed, challenging conceptual distinctions and making their mutual influence visible. Her unique ability to artistically communicate these existential questions sets apart her engagement with our future.

Ruta Putramentaite (b. 1989) comes from Lithuania. She studied photography at Middlesex University, London. After that, she graduated from UMPRUM in Prague (Edith Jeřabkova and Dominik Lang's Studio for Sculpture).

https://rutpu.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rututu_pu/

https://www.galeriejeleni.cz/en/2022/ruta-putramentaite-here-all-is-distance-there-it-was-breath/

2nd place to Jindřiška Jabůrková (b. 1995, CZ)

Jindřiška Jabůrkova mesmerizes with her ability to craft enchanting worlds through her art. With deliberate gestures that seem effortless, she invites viewers to join her on a captivating journey. Utilizing discarded materials found in public spaces, Jabůrkova molds her own unique objects, which

resemble natural formations and provoke contemplation about our everyday actions. Her creations resemble landscapes, with emerging objects reminiscent of scars on the skin, prompting reflection on our consumption habits.

Jindřiška Jabůrkova was born in Zlin, Czech Republic, in 1995 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague.

https://jindriskajaburkova.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jin_jab/3

3rd place to Nevena Ekimova (b. 1984, BG)

Nevena Ekimova's deep passion for sculptural expression reflects in her strong connection with the audience. Her artworks, visually striking and tactile, blend poetry and performance, inviting active engagement. Through her works, she explores power dynamics in relationships and Bulgaria's traditions.

Trained in Norway, Iceland, and Sweden's Valand Art Academy, Ekimova merges international art education with her homeland's cultural heritage. Continuing Gabrovo’s textile tradition, she incorporates recycled fabrics into her works, captivating the jury with her narrative charm and strong ties to her homeland's legacy. Ekimova is an excellent choice for recognition.

https://nevenaekimova.com/

https://openartfiles.bg/en/people/3150-nevena-ekimova

https://www.instagram.com/kakalelka/