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Kate Groobey becomes the first woman to scoop the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize

Kate Groobey has been announced as the winner of the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize 2018, the first woman to win the coveted accolade since it was established in 1988. Kate will now be invited to exhibit at Mizuma Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan this autumn, as part of her prize.

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Painting by Kate Groobey of a figure in an orange top and green patterned skirt with hands crossed over chest, against a bright yellow-green and black background with rough brushstrokes

Kate’s paintings are triggered by an interaction or shared moment. They portray her relationships with the people she encounters, both familiar and new. As such, the works have a strong personal narrative but also convey social stereotypes and emotions or states that everyone can relate to, like the state of Pure Pleasure, the title of the artist’s recent watercolour series. Kate also performs as the characters in her paintings, bringing them to life with a series of improvised vignettes, for which she makes the costumes, backdrops and music.

Speaking of the inspiration behind her Pure Pleasure series, she said: "At LACMA, I stood looking at a Picasso painting called Man and Woman where the male figure is pointing a knife at the woman's vagina, when a male security guard (laughing) said, 'Picasso was a pig!'

"That encounter stuck with me and, as I started to make my Pure Pleasure paintings, I turned my attention to an unexplored perspective in the history of painting, that of a woman painting her female lover, woman on woman, with a desiring female gaze. I realised that when we see a female figure in a painting we are only used to seeing the desiring male gaze or self-portraits."

The 2018 Prize was presented at a private awards ceremony last night, by a distinguished selection panel: Richard Cork, Art Critic; Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Sueo Mizuma, Director, Mizuma Art Gallery, Tokyo; Julian Opie, Artist, and Jonathan Watkins, Director, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.

"The originality of Kate Groobey’s work is clear to see – it is dynamic, refreshing, life-enhancing even," says Jonathan Watkins of Ikon. "She weaves subtle cultural references into her paintings and vignettes so delicately. I have no doubt that she will benefit enormously from exhibiting, and gaining exposure in Japan."

New bodies of work by the three shortlisted artists, Kate Groobey, Keith Milow and Mark Neville are currently exhibited at Daiwa Foundation Japan House as part of the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize exhibition 2018, which continues until 13 July 2018.

Previous recipients of the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize include Marcus Coates, who was awarded the Prize in 2009 with a resulting solo exhibition at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, as well as Haroon Mirza in 2012, whose solo exhibition was held at Scai The Bathhouse, Tokyo and Oliver Beer in 2015. Find out more at: dajf.org.uk.

Watercolour painting of a figure with pink skin and closed eyes wearing an orange garment and olive-green sleeves, with dark blue hands raised above their head in a gesture of contentment
Kate Groobey, Pure Pleasure, watercolour painting with horizontal bands of cream, orange and yellow featuring abstract blue and green organic forms and shapes
Colourful painting of a woman with purple wavy hair and pale skin, with raised arms, wearing red lipstick against a turquoise and blue background with yellow abstract shapes
Figure from Kate Groobey's Pure Pleasure series wearing a yellow outfit and dark sunglasses against a pale blue background
Stylised portrait of a woman with long dark hair, sunglasses and pink face, wearing red-outlined clothing against a blue background with turquoise and orange circular shapes below
Watercolour painting by Kate Groobey of a stylised female figure with blue hair, arms raised in celebration, against a yellow and green abstract background from the Pure Pleasure series
A watercolour illustration of a nude woman with blue wings reclining against a split yellow and blue background, surrounded by stylised green foliage and cucumber slices
Kate Groobey's painting featuring stylised vegetables including corn, cucumber and watermelon against a blue sky and water landscape with black rocks
Figure seen from behind in pink garment gazing at nocturnal landscape with moon, stars and glowing flowers under blue sky, from Kate Groobey's Pure Pleasure series
Watercolour painting with green and teal backgrounds featuring abstracted figures including a white torso, orange hand, brown form and yellow face with expressive brushstrokes
Kate Groobey's watercolour painting of a woman with black hair in a pink skirt and dark jacket, with a yellow-faced figure visible in the background among colourful abstract elements
Colourful painting of a yellow-skinned woman in a red bikini reclining against a blue background with green plants beside her, titled Pure Pleasure
Figure with dark wavy hair and sunglasses holding a watermelon, wearing white and surrounded by orange fabric and pink background with "Pure Pleasure" text at top
Kate Groobey's painting of a woman's face and torso with dark hair against a colourful background of orange, red, yellow and green hues
Colourful watercolour painting featuring a reclining woman in green with a whale, surrounded by abstract figures and shapes in blue, yellow and pink
Kate Groobey's painting featuring a stylised figure with long pink hair against a bold red background, with fabric elements extending from the canvas
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