Sahara Longe is a London based painter who joins us on the panel of expert judges for Jackson’s Painting Prize 2023. Below she shares some of her own paintings as well as artworks that inspire her, and some advice for artists entering the competition this year.
Above image: Street Scene, 2022, Sahara Longe, Oil on canvas
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?
Sahara: I’m a painter living in London. I was classically trained in Florence in the sight size technique at Charles Cecil Studios before gradually drifting into my own style. I specialise in figurative painting and portraiture and am especially interested in colour.
Suits, 2021
Sahara Longe
Oil on jute
What have been your exhibition highlights of 2022? Who are the artists or artworks you were most inspired by this past year?
Sahara: My highlight of this year was having a solo stand at Frieze London with Timothy Taylor. This year I saw the Edvard Munch show at the Musee D’Orsey in Paris and his brushwork and use of colour always leaves me feeling me very inspired.
Party Scene, 2022
Sahara Longe
Oil on canvas
How important do you think awards and competitions are for artists today?
Sahara: I think competitions are very important because putting your work ‘out there’ can be a very scary experience as it’s so personal. I think we are all so self critical of our work but competitions can be a very positive experience and a great way to start showing your work, for me when I started submitting work and occasionally winning something it really opened up my eyes to the fact that people were interested in what I was doing.
What will you be looking for in the entries submitted to the competition this year?
Sahara: Confidence in brushwork and use of colour. Interesting and thought through compositions, and the ability to take something and make it more interesting than it is in life.
Self-Portrait at Professor Jacobson’s Hospital, 1909
Edvard Munch
Oil on canvas, 100 x 110 cm | 39.3 x 43.3 in
Do you have any advice for artists out there thinking about entering Jackson’s Painting Prize this year?
Sahara: Put your work out there and see what happens!
