Announcing the Platform Graduate Awardees 2026
5th Nov 2026
After an inspiring season of exhibitions showcasing the region’s most exciting emerging artists, we are delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 Platform Graduate Award.
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- The Portsmouth Crochet Cave, Lucy Grant, Image credit: Aspex Portsmouth, 2026
This year’s recipients were selected in partnership with three leading arts organisations and higher education institutions across the South: Aspex Portsmouth, Modern Art Oxford and a collective initiative between Arts University Plymouth/MIRROR, University of Plymouth, and Falmouth University.
The 2026 awardees are, in alphabetical order: Lucy Grant, (Winchester School of Art/Aspex Portsmouth), Francesca Pease, (Falmouth University/MIRROR) and Thomas Sebastino, (Oxford Brookes University/Modern Art Oxford).
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- For the Patient’s Safety (installation view), Francesca Pease, Image courtesy of the artist, 2026.
Launched in 2012, the Platform Graduate Award celebrates emerging artistic talent in the South East and South West. The award provides vital support at a pivotal moment in the careers of graduate artists, offering exhibition opportunities and professional development.
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- Installation view, Thomas Sebastino, Image: Modern Art Oxford, 2026
The Platform Graduate Award 2026 exhibition programme continues this Autumn/Winter at Aspex Portsmouth and Modern Art Oxford.
Platform Graduate Award: ‘ The Shape of a Spell’, is on display at Aspex Portsmouth from 18 September – 15 November 2026. More information can be found here
Platform Graduate Award: ‘The Shape of What Remains’, is on display at Modern Art Oxford from 26 September – 22 November 2026. More information can be found here
See the full list of 2026 Platform Graduate Award exhibiting artists here.