The Winner of the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize 2015 was Shanti Panchal with his self-portrait, Artist and the Lost Studio. Announced by Dr Ruth Hallgarten, granddaughter of Ruth Borchard, at the Private View of the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize 2015 at Piano Nobile Kings Place on Thursday 9th July 2015, Shanti Panchal received the £10,000 Prize and his work joined the Ruth Borchard Next Generation Collection, alongside previous winners Celia Paul (2011) and Thomas Newbolt (2013).
Shanti Panchal’s watercolour was inspired by the trauma of losing the studio that he designed and built twenty years ago. Artist and the Lost Studio is, as Panchal describes, a testament to the demise of the temple of his creative soul. The painting was created slowly, over along period of time, a meditative, commemorative process. Panchal uses thick, textured paper, which, through hammering and scraping soaks up the pigment. Colour is loaded onto the surface through layers of wash and colours are mixed there, giving the colours jewel-like depth and intensity.
Shanti Panchal was decided upon by a panel of distinguished judges including Charles Saumarez Smith CBE (Secretary and Chief Executive, Royal Academy of Arts), Jackie Wullschlager (Chief Art Critic, Financial Times), Laura Cumming (Art Critic, the Observer and author of A Face to the World), Simon Martin (Artistic Director, Pallant House Gallery), Thomas Newbolt (Winner, Ruth Borchard Prize 2013) and Dr Ruth Hallgarten (granddaughter of Ruth Borchard).
Shanti Panchal, Artist and the Lost Studio, 2015, Watercolour on paper