The Anthony Earnshaw Bursary 2021 has been awarded to Hanna Gorczynska, Access to HE Diploma student, who received the prize on the strength of her Drawing a Day project.
Hanna created one piece each day, documenting the academic year, with much of her work created during the third Covid-19 lockdown from January 2021. The result is an extraordinarily varied body of work including textiles, needlework, drawing and painting.
Images: Hanna Gorczynska, taken from her winning Drawing a Day project, 2021.
Adam Stone, Course Leader for the Leeds Arts University Access to HE Diploma said: "The judging panel were impressed by Hanna’s interpretation of the brief, her application was thought provoking and imaginative, demonstrating an experimental handling of materials and a creative use of visual language."
On receiving the award Hanna said: "It was a great surprise to me to win this award and I felt quite wordless after it was announced! But I am very happy, I’ve been really pleased with the course and it is a real honour to receive the bursary."
Image: Hanna Gorczynska, taken from her winning Drawing a Day project, 2021.
Hanna Gorczynska is an aspiring animator who draws inspiration from domestic environment, daily routine and familiar places. She regularly uses soft materials and her work features fabrics and threads, using needlework as well as drawing techniques to create her pieces. She is interested in connecting traditional mediums with digital procedures and currently is working on embroidered animation projects. In addition to animation, she is interested in illustration and regularly practices observational drawing.
Image: Anthony Earnshaw Bursary winner 2021, Hanna Gorczynska.
Hanna will receive a cash award of £500. Runners up were fellow students Phie Alexander and Ellis Feher.
The bursary, now in its fifth year, was set up by artist Patrick Hughes in memory of his friend, the surrealist artist and fellow alumni, Anthony Earnshaw. The bursary is awarded annually to students at Leeds Arts University.
Image: Phie Alexander (runner up), from the Drawing a Day project, 2021.
Anthony Earnshaw was born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, in 1924. He began work as an engineering fitter and a crane driver, painting and drawing in his time off. In the 1950s Earnshaw worked at Leeds College of Art, now Leeds Arts University, and later taught in Harrogate, Bradford and Leeds. In 1985 Earnshaw decided to pursue his artistic career full-time. Earnshaw’s work is held in public collections, including Leeds Arts University, Tate; Arts Council England; Leeds Art Gallery; Graves Gallery, Sheffield, and The Sherwin Collection, Leeds.