Belfast artist wins award

24 November 2008 -

Belfast-born artist Martin Wedge was among the winners of the Davy Portrait Awards held recently at the Scottish Mutual Building in Belfast.

The ceremony took place in the capital and was open to people who work in traditional and non-traditional media in Ireland.

Mr Wedge scooped second place for his portrait, entitled Figure C3.10, which refers to an anonymous subject he painted in a medical reference book.

He describes the person in the piece as being "a universal face strangely recognisable to many".

First place went to Joe Dunne, for his egg and oil tempera painting of his daughter.

Tony Garry, chief executive of Davy, said the idea of the event is to reward works of excellence created in the country.

"In establishing the Davy Portrait Awards it is our aim to champion innovation and excellence in contemporary portrait painting in Ireland," he stated.

Mr Wedge was born in Belfast in 1958 and studied at the University of Ulster until 1982.