Haywards Heath and East Grinstead prep school pupils win international art competition, iart 2022

Billy Rampling, 11, from Ardingly College Prep School, was one of the victors of iart 2022 for his inspirational painting of Winston Churchill.

Billy said: “My role model is Winston Churchill because I was amazed at how he came into office and within five years won us the war.

"He completely changed the way we approached the war and he did so much for us.”

Fellow Ardingly pupil Anna Calkins, 11, was a runner up for her depiction of Jane Goodall DBE, the person that inspires her the most.

Isabelle Green, 14, from Brambletye School in East Grinstead was named a winner for her self-portrait in the style of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock.

Isabelle said: “My role model is abstract expressionist, Jackson Pollock, whose style I have adopted to create my own self image.

"Pollock was my artist reference for my Art Scholarship to Bede’s.”

Aimee Bruce, 9, from Brambletye, was a runner up for her piece inspired by artist David Shepherd.

iart 2022 asked children to submit a piece of artwork that represented something or someone who inspired them.

This year’s competition received 161 entries, ranging from portraits of parents and friends to David Attenborough, Enid Blyton, Michelle Obama and the NHS.

Pupils used many different techniques like sculpting, pencil and watercolours, and finalists, aged 6 to 13, competed against entries from more than 70 of the world’s leading schools

Christopher King, chief executive officer of IAPS, said: “We say it every year, but the quality and creativity of artwork we receive each year never fails to impress us.

“This year we wanted to tap into what has inspired the children most over the course of Covid-19, and it’s been humbling to see portraits of friends who have encouraged them to be themselves, parents who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and popular celebrities in sport, literature, art and environmental activism all coming through.”

He said: "My warmest congratulations and huge thanks to every student that participated, and we look forward to seeing the finalists’ artwork presented on the wall at our iart exhibition.”

The iart 2022 prizegiving event will be held for families and teachers at St Ethelburga’s, Bishopsgate, this month.