LONDON.- The judges' decision was announced at a special reception on 10 September at Annely Juda Fine Art's new gallery, 16 Hanover Square, Mayfair. The grant gives the recipient £50,000 to help alleviate some of their financial pressures and give them freedom to concentrate on their practice.
The winner of this year's grant is Soheila Sokhanvari (b.1964), an artist whose practice explores memory, identity and cultural displacement through painting, drawing and installation. Trained initially in biochemistry before turning to fine art, Sokhanvari employs the traditional technique of egg tempera on calf vellum, painstakingly grinding her own pigments to create works that evoke the precision of illuminated manuscripts. Drawing on magic realism, symbolism and allegory, her work addresses political and social histories through metaphor, resisting fixed or authoritarian narratives.
This year a special second grant of £10,000 was awarded to Olivia Sterling (b. 1996), a London-based painter whose vividly coloured, tightly composed works examine race, class, gender and social status through scenes of everyday British life.
An exhibition featuring all seven of the artists continues at Annely Juda Fine Art, 16 Hanover Square, Mayfair, until 19 September.
The David and Yuko Juda Art Foundation charity was set up in 2017. The curator of the grant for 2026, who nominated the seven shortlisted artists, is acclaimed author, art historian and Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History at the University of Cambridge, Alyce Mahon.
The 2026 shortlisted artists were: Laia Abril / Aziza Kadyri / Amak Mahmoodian / Niamh O'Malley / Ro Robertson / Soheila Sokhanvari / Olivia Sterling.
More information about the previous recipients, judges and curators for the grant can be found at the David and Yuko Juda Art Foundation website.
