An artist from Hull is one of just 45 entrants from around the world who made the final cut to be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Matthew Midwood, 51, submitted a portrait of his 10-year-old daughter Evelyn to the annual Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025, previously known as the BP Portrait Award.
The painting, titled ‘Evelyn’, will hang in the National Portrait Gallery for the next three months. There were just under 1,400 entries from 61 countries around the world.
Speaking about the achievement, he said: “Obviously, it is quite an incredible feeling as a painter to get a painting in such a prestigious award.
“As an artist, you always question your own work, so to get some validation feels really nice.”
(Image: Matthew Midwood)
The judging process was anonymous, so the selected artworks were chosen on merit alone. “That particular painting I really love – I am incredibly proud of it,” Matthew added.
On Tuesday, July 8, Matthew travelled to London with his daughter Evelyn and mother Lesley Raywood to attend the preview of the exhibition, meeting the other exhibiting artists including fellow Yorkshireman Richard Kitson from Barnsley. They also met Hull-born actress Maureen Lipman.
Matthew said Evelyn enjoyed the experience which “opened up her world”. He said: “Initially, she got a little bit nervous of the idea that a painting of her would be on public display.
(Image: Jo Kitson)
“It kind of scared her a little bit, but then it didn’t take her long to realise it is quite a cool thing. She has just got into the swing of it and it is proper bragging rights in the playground.”
It was Matthew’s first time entering a submission. He said a friend suggested he enter the contest and he thought, “What have I got to lose?”
He added: “Every single artist that I know in Hull was really supportive and that felt really lovely. There is a really good community of artists in Hull and we always celebrate each other. That felt really important to me.”
If anybody would like to support Matthew, they can vote for their favourite portrait in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 on the National Portrait Gallery Website.