The winner of this year’s Platform Graduate Award has been announced

Emerging artist award presented to Arts University Plymouth graduate Ashanti Hare by guest judge, artist Larry Achiampong

CVAN South East (Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East) and its partners are delighted to announce the winner of the Platform Graduate Award 2022. 

Selected from six finalists, this year’s winner is Ashanti Hare, a graduate of Arts University Plymouth, nominated for her show at MIRROR, Plymouth. 

Ashanti Hare was selected by a panel of judges, including guest artist Larry Achiampong, to receive a £2,000 bursary and 12-months of mentoring support. Achiampong revealed the news in an online event on Sunday 4th December. The five runners-up each receive a bursary of £200.

Celebrating its tenth year in 2022, the award has extended its reach into the South West region, in association with our sister network VASW (Visual Arts South West). MIRROR at Arts University Plymouth joins Aspex Portsmouth as our second South West venue partner. Altogether this year, the six partner venues showed 37 artists, graduating from 19 participating universities.

Joto Se, Ashanti Hare, Installation view at Arts University Plymouth, 2022. 

Ashanti Hare said:

“I’m so grateful and happy to receive this award and to be working with CVAN over the next year. I’m also excited to be able to really focus on researching and developing a ceremonial costume and performance film around grounding and rituals while continuing my investigations into hidden histories”. 

Professor Stephen Felmingham, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Arts University Plymouth, said: 

“Support for our creative graduates as they begin their careers is a huge priority for Arts University Plymouth. The Platform Graduate Award is a crucial part of this and we are very proud to have won this year with Ashanti’s remarkable work. Congratulations are also due to the other shortlisted graduate artists from Arts University Plymouth and from the University of Plymouth who took part in the exhibition in August, without whom the Award would not have been possible.

“It has been a year of successive wins for us, from the award of University title in March, followed by the success as WhatUni’s best Small Specialist Provider and the National Student Survey putting us at the top of our sector for student satisfaction. Even taking into account our 166 year history, this has been a year to be proud of. But it is with even greater pleasure that we acknowledge the Platform Graduate award here, founded on an individual student’s success, to a graduate who represents the very best in their field and who exemplifies the excellence of the UK’s newest Arts University.”

Larry Achiampong, artist and guest judge, said: 

‘It was an honour to be invited to this panel, to be witness to the early stages of what will surely be exciting journeys for the graduates. This kind of award is very important even at this stage, not just because of the obvious help that the funds could provide in the creation of a new work or helping with the cost of living, but a gesture that tells the artist they are doing something special”.

Oliver Sumner, Manager of CVAN South East, said: 

“We are thrilled that the Platform Graduate Award 2022 has gone to Ashanti Hare. A thoroughly deserving recipient in the tenth year of the award, they impressed the panel with the originality, maturity and ambition of their practice. As we mark the first decade, it feels more urgent than ever that we continue to support and celebrate the most promising emerging artists graduating from our partner universities. 

The Platform Graduate Award was established by CVAN South East (Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East) in 2012 to support emerging artists to further their practice following graduation. In this tenth year the award has extended its reach in the South West, in association with our sister network, VASW. This year’s award is supported by six partner arts organisations from across the South East and West. Arts University Plymouth makes its debut, together with its internal venue, MIRROR. Continuing as partner venues are Aspex, Portsmouth; MK Gallery in Milton Keynes; Modern Art Oxford; Phoenix Art Space in Brighton; and Turner Contemporary in Margate. 

Top left, CVAN South East Manager, Oliver Sumner; Top Right, Ashanti Hare, Platform Graduate Winner 2022, Bottom, Artist Larry Achiampong