Sokari Higgwe
Sokari Higgwe is a self-trained photographer, based in the UK whose work is driven by his passion for architecture, art, design & the human form. Having initially graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and later an MSC in business information Technology.
He worked in investment banking in the City of London for several years before embarking on an artistic career with his first solo exhibition in 2013, a significant milestone that showcased his deep understanding of visual storytelling. His pivot from finance to work in the arts full time marks a pursuit of passion as he embraced his photography skills.
Today, Sokari’s artistic vision finds expression not only through his photography but also through his role as the proprietor of the London Lighthouse Gallery & Studio in East London. The gallery has hosted ground-breaking exhibitions by rising stars of the art world and established artists from around the world.
He is a member of the ArtGeminiPrize 2024 judging panel.
Sumi Perera
Sumi Perera is a post-disciplinary academic, curator, artist who merges her medical and scientific background to her interactive artistic practice in creating
interactive installations that evolve in colour, emit light and produce sound.
She obtained a MA from Camberwell College, University of Arts London in
2003-04.
She has taught at Middlesex University on the MA Printmaking course and the Royal Academy’s short courses program and is a member of the ArtGeminiPrize 2024 judging panel.
Her multicultural work is drawn upon her own Sri Lankan & British roots combined with numerous artist residencies in China (Beijing 2007 & Yinchuan 2019); Italy (Venice at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica & Solo Exhibition 2017); France (Stone Lithography residency at Pierre Press 2017); & London – National Open Art Residency at Mercer’s Hall (2016).
Public Collections: Tate Britain, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, Royal Collection, British Library, Ashmolean Museum, Yale Centre for British Art USA; & museums in China, Japan, Italy, Denmark, Iraq, Egypt, Taiwan, USA & Australia.
Arturo Garcia de las Heras
Vestalia Chilton
Jose Jeuland (SG)
Ex-Professional Triathlete turned Professional Photographer – specialized in documentary, editorial, and commercial.
Hailing from Brittany, France – Jose has been traveling around the world for sport and photography.
Jose managed to produce two successful photography exhibitions at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore: “Haenyeo” and “Longevity Okinawa”. That was widely publicized in various international publications. Jose’s Haenyeo portraits were also showcased on stage during the iconic Irish rock band U2’s concert in Seoul.
Portrait photography is one of Jose’s trademarks, and it features heavily throughout his street, travel, and documentary photography shots. Audiences have often remarked at the emotional connection they find with Jose’s photography work.
Jose also enjoys the print side of photography and believes that the results of printed photographs are one of the peaks of photography achievements.
Now based in Singapore, Jose runs COCO Creative Studio where he produces commercial photography and directs video production for his clients.
Jose is a FUJIFILM X-Photographer ambassador, The North Face ambassador and Polar Ambassador, supported by Epson, BenQ.
www.josejeuland.com
www.cococreativestudio.com
JO BARING
Jo Baring is the Director of The Ingram Collection, the biggest publicly accessible private collection of Modern British art in the UK. She also runs the Ingram Collection’s Young Contemporary Talent programme which supports emerging artistic talent, through purchasing, exhibitions and mentoring. Previously, Jo was a Director of Christie’s U.K and Head of Department, 20th Century British Art, Christie’s South Kensington. She read Modern History at Brasenose College, Oxford and holds an M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Jo is a member of the ArtGemini Prize judging panel.
THORSTEN VON OVERGAARD
Thorsten is a Danish writer and photographer, specializing in portrait and documentary photography, known for writings about photography, as an educator and international photo competition judge.
ZOE WHISHAW
Zoe is a commercial photography consultantand mentor providing creative direction and strategic advice for photographers and photo agencies.She has developed and contributed to the success of leading media company Getty Images, where she worked for 17 years in senior creative and strategic positions, latterly as European Director of Photography. Zoe is a member of the ArtGemini Prize 2014 judges’ panel.
REBECCA HOSSACK
Rebecca is an established gallerist and champion for innovative contemporary art for 25 years. With three galleries in London and New York, Rebecca was judge and host for the ArtGemini Prize 2013.
SARAH RYAN
Sarah is a fine art graduate and founder of New Blood Art in 2004, an online contemporary art gallery that sells original work by selected emerging artists. New Blood Art has a strong track record for identifying emerging artists who go on to do well. Sarah was a member of the ArtGemini Prize 2013 Judges’ Panel.
DR PHIL SHAW
Phil studied printmaking at the Royal College of Art, London. In 2000, he was awarded a Doctorate in Printmaking from Middlesex University, where he has taught since 1980. He is a hugely successful artist whose prints appear in collections around the world. His recent work The Group of Eight an edition of 10 prints, was commissioned by Prime Minister of the UK and presented to the eight world leaders attending the 2013 G8 Summit in Northern Ireland. Phil was a member of the ArtGemini Prize 2014 judging panel.
ANGUS PRYOR
Angus studied at the Wimbledon School of Art and followed by an award of a MA at the Kent Institute of Art & Design. He is now Head of School for Art & Design at the University of Gloucestershire and co-director of the Arts Group, Plastic Propaganda.
CRISTINA CELLINI ANTONINI
A protagonist of the London contemporary art scene, Cristina Cellini Antonini is best known as the founder of the ARTROOMS – International Contemporary Art Fair for Independent Artists and of Le Dame Art Gallery. She is a respected arts industry veteran who has organised arts festivals in Italy and worked across several continents. Cristina is a member of the ArtGemini Prize judging panel.
VIV LAWES
Viv holds an MA Fine & Decorative Art from Sotheby’s Institute (University of Manchester) and a BA History of Art from University of York. She is lecturer and tutor in the Humanities Faculty at City & Guilds of London Art School and a visiting lecturer at Institut d’Etudes Superieures des Arts (IESA) and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Viv is a senior UK consultant to One East Asia International Art Management and was a member of the ArtGemini Prize 2014 judging panel.
DR CHRISTINA BRADSTREET
Dr Christina Bradstreet is Honorary Secretary of the Association of Art Historians. She works for the National Gallery, where she organises and teaches adult learning courses and events. She was previously Director of Careers at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She is currently publishing a book on scent in nineteenth-century art.
Paul Regan RWS
Saskia Jiggens
Saskia Jiggens is in charge of Communications and Partnerships at the Knightsbridge Partnership and King’s Road Partnership, directly working with more than 600 stakeholders across these two globally-renowned destinations.
After qualifying at The Courtauld institute, Saskia has been employed extensively across London in the arts and culture sector. She worked with more than 200 commercial galleries and public institutions on ambitious creative initiatives and public art trails, including Mayfair Art Weekend, Kensington + Chelsea Festival and the Nine Elms Advent Calendar Trail.
Last year, she directed one of the UK’s largest public poetry initiatives, showcasing 26 works by UK & international writers in the public realm. Saskia supports the arts passionately, having recently been a judge for the 2022 It’s Art Prize, with the winner exhibiting in a Mayfair gallery. She also won a 2022 “Mayfair Times” Award for her work in the arts.
ESTELLE LOVATT
Art critic Estelle Lovatt FRSA trained as a painter before going over to the other side of the canvas and becoming a freelance art critic seen and heard on BBC Radio and TV, Sky News, Al Jazeera and CNN. She is also an Art History lecturer at Hampstead School of Art, London. Follow her art news on Twitter: @EstelleLovatt
HANIA FARRELL
Hania studied interior design at BUC (Beirut), Pratt Institute (New York) and Charpentier (Paris). She was awarded ArtGeminiPrize 2016 (1st Prize Photography & Digital category) for Minecrafting. Recent shows include Beirut Art Fair 2014 & 2015, Singapore Art Fair 2014, The Taylor Photographic Portrait Prize 2016, as well as commissions for Beirut Art Week (Air France 2014; VERTU 2015) and TEAL London 2013. Hania is a member of PhotoX judging panel.
PROF. BRIAN GRIFFIN D.UNIV. (BCU) HON. FRPS
Brian Griffin is one of the most unconventional, renowned and influential creative portrait photographers working in Britain today, his work is featured in many museum collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, National Portrait Gallery London, Art Museum Reykjavik Iceland, Arts Council London and Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany. A much-revered photographer, Brian received the “Freedom of the city of Arles, France” in 1987 and went on to publish the seminal book “Work” in 1988 with a one-man show at the National Portrait Gallery. He has been decorated with accolades recognizing his influence on the photographic world, including receiving the “Centenary Medal” from the Royal Photographic Society in recognition of a lifetime achievement in photography. October 2017 will see the publication of “Gig” a book on the history of his music photography.
DAVID KILPATRICK
Esteemed photography magazine editor and publisher David Kilpatrick set up Icon Publications Ltd in 1987 with his wife Shirley to publish photographic magazines and has done so ever since. Icon currently publishes Cameracraft and Master Photography (f2 Freelance Photographer merged with Cameracraft which replaces it as the title). He was Associate Editor of Photo Technique and then went freelance, contracting as editor of The Photographer. A few years later he had a chance to buy a local photography business in partnership with a friend of his who subsequently bought him out enabling him to buy a Nottinghamshire farmhouse and convert the range of barns into studio, offices and darkroom. After many successful years him and his wife moved north of the border to Scotland, to set up one of the first digital bureaux, producing magazines, books, leaflets and catalogues and specialised in the technical side of a new workflow.
PAT LE PAULMIER
Pat is a published international travel photographer, with a background in technology. His work is focused around historical, cultural & landscape settings from Europe & North America. Some of his works have been featured at various US Presidential Libraries & State Art Collection. He’s also been published in countless outlets for well over a decade across 3 continents: Latin America, North America & Europe. Pat joined the judging panel of PhotoX 2017 as an online guest selector.
VANESSA CHAMPION
Former academic turned London newspaper editor, Ness runs busy media agency working in stills, video, podcasting, PR and Marketing. Her own commercial documentary and portrait work has taken her from the UK to Hong Kong, Africa to Iceland, India to Nepal. She is founder of PhotoAid Global Foundation brokering photographers who want to put something back to NGOs and charities around the world. She also is director of Argenta Wellness, bringing simulations of nature into interiors, and is editor/publisher of The Journal of Biophilic Design.
www.vanessachampion.co.uk
Lisa Gray
Lisa Gray is the Founder of FLUX Exhibition and brings together her passion for art and 20 years experience working in finance to produce immensely successful art events. FLUX has established itself as the platform for contemporary artists to be discovered and to be part of an exceptional, inspirational event. The show represents an opportunity to gain access to a vast and diverse group of gifted artists, on the path
to being the big names of tomorrow, showcasing international talent in a collaborative, inclusive show.
Gray has been a judge for ArtRooms, Woman Painter of the year, Zealous Stories, and now ArtGemini Prize.
Michelle Loh
Michelle Loh started her career in visual art in 2006 at Starcap Galleries. In 2013, she set up her first gallery, Beyond Colours at Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore and followed by a second gallery, Composition Pte Ltd.
She has represented artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee, Chua Mia Tee, Koeh Sia Yong, Eng Siak Loy, Ng Woon Lam, Ling Yang Chang and Henry Lee during the last 14 years. She has published 2 art books, The Oil Painting of Lee Man Fong (Beyond Colours) and Drawings by Cheong Soo Pieng (Composition).
Besides private collectors, Beyond Colours and Composition’s clients include National Gallery Singapore and URA, Singapore.
Tabish Khan (UK)
Benny Oentoro (Bali)
Benny Oentoro is the gallery director of Art Xchange Gallery. He studied Pacific Rim studies at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and Transportation Design at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, U.S.A. Initially, Benny was a car designer who later ventured into interior design and fell in love with contemporary art. He is a member of the judging panel for the 9th edition ArtGeminiPrize 2022.
Mathew Browne
Mathew Browne is a photographer from Wales specialising in travel photography, cityscapes, and architecture. Over the last decade, he has visited over 70 countries and territories in search of beautiful photo locations. Mathew serves as an ambassador for Skylum Software, creators of Luminar Neo editing software. He is also the head of technology for the photo location sharing app, PhotoHound. Mathew’s first book, “Wales in Photographs”, documents one year of exploring his homeland. Mathew joined the ArtGemini Prize judging panel.