Awards connects artists with business

The Perth office of global law firm Clyde & Co has continued its commitment to local artists with the announcement of a winner in its annual art project.

A piece by North Metropolitan Tafe graduate Mitchell Davies was selected as the winner ahead of works from final year undergraduate exhibitions held at the North Metro Tafe, Curtin University, and Edith Cowan University.

This year is the third time the Clyde & Co Art Project has been run in Perth, offering cash prizes as well as ongoing pro bono legal advice on copyright law, writing and negotiating contracts, business setup, and taxation. Mr Davies received $1,500 for winning the Perth art award. 

First held in the firm’s London offices in 2010, the award offers recent graduates from art colleges the opportunity to showcase and auction their work in a commercial space.

The artwork of all 15 finalists in Western Australia will hang in the firm’s St Georges Terrace office until the end of the year, when Clyde & Co will hold a silent auction.

More than half of the students’ pieces have been sold via silent auction during the past three years.

This year’s winner, Mr Davies, said the awards helped artists navigate the difficulties of entering the professional art world.

“Emerging artists face challenges such as lack of gallery and public interest,” he said.

“I am so honoured to have my work on display at Clyde & Co and it makes me so happy to have received such positive feedback.”

Mr Davies’ winning installation, Artificium, features more than 100 plastic leaves fixed to the wall of one of Clyde & Co’s meeting rooms.

Work from other finalists included a range of sculpture and jewellery pieces alongside traditional painting and photographic forms.

“We didn’t want to just hang paintings on walls,” Clyde & Co partner Jenny Thornton said.

The Clyde & Co awards are one of several corporate sponsored events in Perth this year, including Lester Group’s Black Swan Art Prize, Bankwest’s sculpture prize, and the IGA Royal Show Awards.