Art Prize | Kids of DADA
At Hoxton Gallery on Thursday, Kids of DADA hosted their private viewing of work by up-and-coming artists and designers. In a relaxed gathering beneath the railway arches of Kingsland Road, the diverse crowd viewed a mixture of paintings and prints, sculptures and t-shirts while drinking plastic cups of Pistonhead lager. From the speakers a mix of Motown and Van Morrison played.
It was a suitably unpretentious affair considering the ethos of the new upstart. Kids of DADA is the brainchild of Maria Raposo, a Canadian who moved to the UK after falling in love with a Briton, and, so used to being able to buy anything online in her home country, was frustrated at the lack of user-friendly art domains over here. Spotting a niche in the market, she created an online “cultural hub that brings together art and fashion in a curated environment” and coupled this with an emphasis on emerging talent.
22 exemplary works were showcased and two (there was a tie) were awarded prize money of £1,000 each, by a judging panel featuring Tim Noble, Mat Colishaw, Polly Morgan and Sue Webster no less. Suzanne Moxhay was one winner, “very pleased – not expecting it at all”. She will be using the money to fund the making of some light boxes for her next piece, where she will expand on her work exploring the movement of light within interior spaces.
Her winning piece is one of a series, which depicts slightly surreal and gloomy apocalyptic landscapes. It was purchased last night, much to the artist’s delight. The purchaser was invited by her friend, a Kids of DADA artist. Although not a frequent art buyer, she found an artwork she immediately fell in love with; she was thrilled with her purchase and excited that she, unknowingly, chose artwork from one of the winners. This is a great example of the comfortable and laid back approach to art that Kids of DADA seeks to encourage, one which is beneficial to buyers and new artists alike.Words: Kate Knowles