Textiles graduate wins the Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize with Frieze

The annual Emerging Artist Prize – now in its third year – offers invaluable critical exposure to an emerging artist, concurrent with their first show at a London institution. Tenant of Culture will be supported by the experienced Camden Art Centre curatorial team, and the show will be underpinned by an extensive programme of public talks and events. 

Tenant of Culture’s artistic practice is characterised by repurposing discarded materials, mainly old clothing, into new sculptural works in a critique on consumer culture and wastefulness. The work disrupts the definition of garment as well as sculpture. 

Anne Toomey, Head of Textiles, said: ‘Tenant of Culture’s background in womenswear design and textiles informs the way she selects materials. For her RCA graduate show in 2016, the garment was a central object in her practice, and today she uses it to expose narratives of labour, production, circulation and waste within the fashion industry, which ties into broader social and cultural histories. These ideas are becoming increasingly urgent as we have a role to play in bringing about real and lasting change for the environment’.

The 2020 Prize was selected by a panel chaired by Martin Clark (Director, Camden Art Centre), with Gina Buenfeld (Exhibition Curator, Camden Art Centre) and Rob Leckie, Director, Spike Island, Bristol. A group of UK and international patrons have generously supported the Prize, including Lead Supporters Alexandra Economou, Noach Vander Beken and Georgina Townsley. These patrons share an interest in supporting the work of emerging artists and the economy of younger galleries within the contemporary art scene. For over 25 years Camden Art Centre has been committed to supporting and nurturing artists in the formative stages of their careers.