The PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists + their Exhibition!

This is a listing of all those who have made it through to the Semi Final of Portrait Artist of the Year 2025 (Series 12). 

PLUS news of their Group Show in December in London!

PAOTY 2025 Semi Finalists' Group Show: "Marks of Reflection"

This year, seven of the eight semi finalists have organised a group show of their work ‘Marks of Reflection’ - details below - which is great news for all those who would like a closer look at their work!

I've only just noticed that they are all women apart from Uthman Wahaab. Very sadly Vincent Stokes is not taking part.

The basics are these. At the end of this post are more details about the nature of the exhibition - and the Panel Talk about Contemporary Portraiture.

The show will feature a selection of work featured on the show, as well as new, unseen paintings.

• Venue: Noho Showrooms, 67 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7PT (a three minute walk from Oxford Circus )
• Dates: 16th-21st December 2025 (11am - 6pm)
• Panel Discussion: 18th December 2025 with Kate Bryan and Curtis Holder

Portrait Artist of the Year: Heat Winners

Can I suggest you note the size of the heat portraits - there's an awful lot of small ones....

Episode 1

Self portrait and heat painting by Edie Bound

Edie Bound won the first heat to be screened in 2025. This was the profile I used in my review.

Edie Bound (Instagram) - b.2002 is originally from Wiltshire but now lives in South London. She did a foundation year at Camberwell School of Art and then chose to work at a ceramic studio whilst pursuing oil painting in her free time.

Edie being announced as the winner

This was what I said in my review of Episode 1

Tai-Shan thought the self portrait to be a little gem. Edie produced a very small but extremely competent self portrait. The orange carried over into her heat painting. It catches the eye like red but is much less wearing on the eye.

Tai was also a big fan of the minimal mark-making in the heat painting and the fact that, after starting out with the portrait upside down (to mark out the big shapes and tones) she caught the likeness very fast.

"I'm always impressed when young artists go out on a limb and still nail the likeness"

I thought she was very clearly the only artist to have a very good likeness from early one. The fact that her particular method of mark-making was not boring made the end result a racing certainty. 

Episode 2

Paulina Kwietiewsska was the winner of Heat 2.

Self portrait and heat painting by Paulina Kwietiewsska

This was Paulina's profile at the time of the heats

Paulina Kwietiewsska (Instagram | Linktr.ee) a Polish-born professional figurative artist working primarily in oil. Based between London and her hometown of Łódź, Poland, her practice is rooted in classical painting techniques. She is largley self-taught but also has studied at the London Atelier of Representational Art. She also teaches workshops

Paulina - with her heat painting of Elif Shafak

The Judges described her portraits as enigmatic and her painting as Fluid and beautiful (Tai).

This is what I said in my review of Episode 2

While very much appreciating her ability to capture likeness and use paint in a very effective way, the only issues for me are:

• both are small. We've seen nothing like the size of artwork which a commission needs to be
• we've not seen open eyes in either portrait.None of the Judges commented on the size or the lack of eyes.

I'm guessing she will need to address both issues in the semi-final.

Plus  

She was described by the Judges as

showing a powerful connection with their sitter to produce a powerful portraits

However, they did also comment that they'd like to see her being a little bit braver going forward.

I took that to be code meaning " paint bigger and show us the eyes next time!" 

Episode 3

The winner of Episode 3 was Katie Jones. 

Katie Jones with her heat portrait of James May

This is her profile from my review of Episode 3

Katie Jones (Instagram) - Lives and works in Somerset. She is a community arts tutor working with the charity Heads Up Somerset delivering art for wellbeing workshops near Wells. She also runs courses and workshops from her studio on the Mendip hills

Self portrait and heat portrait by Katie Jones

I thought the portrait made James May look a lot younger and a bit Brad Pittish - although I liked her style and facility for achieving a likeness.

This was my review comment on her paintings

Katie Jones is a hyperrealist artist who is exceptionally good at painting eyes and the colour tones in skin - and rather less good at painting wrinkles and signs of aging. 

However her portraits have impact.  Her approach of painting just a head and the suggestion of shoulders and clothing on a white background is every effective - particularly when the background colour he was sat against was so "in your face" and one that jars with flesh colours. They also look like they would fit in well in most contemporary rooms.  

Kate Bryan kept referring to the suggestion of psychological heft behind her portraits - and while I get that with her self-portrait, where it's a very reasonable comment to make, I simply don't get it in relation to James May.

She was also very surprised about how much she accomplished in the four hours. I wasn't. What she did IMO was a reflection of her experience and time spent painting.

If I was Hannah Fry, I think I'd be hoping Katie was the winner! I certainly think she has a very good chance of being a finalist.

Episode 4

The winner of Episode 4 was Chloe Barnes - in the middle below.

This is her profile as highlighted in my review of Episode 4

Chloe Barnes (Instagram) - a Gallery Production and Studio Manager who lives in London. She has a first class honours degree in Illustration and an MA (Distinction) in Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking from the University of the West of England. She is a mono-printer and creates figurative monotypes that explore identity, sexuality, the psyche, and the experiences of women. She has exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists Bicentennial Exhibition, and Gurr Johns, London and has also won a number of awards

Self portrait and heat portrait by Chloe Barnes

Comments about the heat painting were as follows

I agree with one of the Judges (Kate?) who said that the likeness was not quite there. I also think the neck is a tad elongated. However her skill in painting in tonality through monochrome won out for me. Her self portrait clearly demonstrates what she can do.

 

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Episode 5

The winner of Episode 5 was Lauren Ross. She arrived with a list of tips for herself to follow in the heat!

This is her profile in my review of Episode 5

Lauren Ross (Instagram) - an art tutor and painter from Edinburgh. who first appeared in Series 2 of PAOTY. She also works as work as an English & maths tutor and as a High school mentor. She completed a foundation diploma in art & design at Edinburgh College and came back to art during the pandemic. She has also exhibited portraits with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Society of Women Artists

Self portrait and Heat Portrait by Lauren Ross

Judges' Comments I extracted in my review

Tai suggested that Lauren had brought Melvin to life. He also found the device of the braclet as a halo to be rather beautiful - as did I.

These were my comments

I liked Melvins head but from the neck down I was less impressed.

There again she had demonstrated her ability to paint in her own self portrait which was complex and well composed and well balanced in terms of foreground, midground and background.

I get the impression Lauren likes curvy things (note the curves in the SP).

Lauren Ross with her heat portrait

The Judges considered that 

she created a sensitive work with storytelling and a very well-considered luminous portrait of Melvin.

It wouldn't have been my first choice but I understand their rationale.

Episode 6

The winner was Uthman Wahaab - in the centre below. 

This is his profile as per my review of Episode 6

Uthman Wahaab (Instagram) - born in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria in 1983 and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a higher diploma degree in Fine Art from the School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. He is a multidisciplinary artist, who lives and work between Lagos Nigeria and Kent in the UK. He has an overarching interest in social phenomenon; yet, he is not concerned with a consistent use of medium or even singular aesthetic style. His work seeks to challenge perceptions and foster dialogue around issues of faith, tradition, and community, particularly within the context of African and Islamic identities. (His about page is more comprehensive and impressive than those of most artists) 

Self portrait and Heat Portrait by Ufrun Wahab

I wrote a very long and caustic view of Wahab's portraits of women in terms of distortion and representation in my review of Episode 6. I don't propose to repeat it here. I spent a lot of time looking at his portraits of women in various places before I wrote it.

My views were

I sincerely hope he is not the overall winner.

I really do NOT think Hannah Fry would appreciate a portrait which looks like the way he paints women. Simple as.

Episode 7

The winner of Episode 7 was Vincent Stokes. This is his profile from my review of Episode 7.

Vincent Stokes (Instagram) - b. 1996 in Walsall in the West Midlands. He completed his BA in Fine Art (1st Class) from Birmingham School of Art (2014-2017); BCU in 2017, and achieved his Masters in Fine Art (Distinction) in 2018. He's a regular exhibitor in and around the West Midlands notably with the RBSA. He works on themes for a series of drawings - with many related to his personal life. I RECOMMEND you take a look at his instagram account!

Self portrait and heat portrait by Vincent Stokes

My comments were as follows

I thought painting anybody in a Hajib is difficult enough for a portrait painter as you can cannot see their body or how they sit properly. I thought this group of painters were at a serious disadvantage in that respect.

Fatiha chose the drawing by Vincent Stokes and said "You're a magician, boy!" and was particularly impressed that it was created just through line and shading. Her eyes literally "lit up" when she saw it. I loved her trainers which peeked out at the bottom - which to me grounded her as a contemporary comedian from Hackney.

This is how I summarised the Judges' views.

The Judges thought Vincent's drawing provided a wonderful likeness.

They considered his self portrait submission as very complex and finished - so he had to find a new language for drawing his subject within the time limitations.

Tai is very clear that his heat drawing is in no way "slight" and that Vincent demonstrated that he really understood the elements of his drawing which are important.

Episode 8

The winner of Episode 8 was Courtney Bae.

Her profile is below as per my review of Episode 8

Courteney Bae (Instagram) - 1986 is a Korean-American contemporary artist who is the daughter of artist Sangki Bae. She describes herself as a "creative marketer" - but initially trained in Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, before gaining experience at renowned luxury goods brands. Now working in oils and gouache watercolour. She has won multiple juried awards and exhibited in New York, London, and Europe. Lives in Walton on Thames in NW Surrey.

Self portrait and heat portrait by Courtney Bae

Comments from the Judges were 

I would say that Courtney, that there is a quality that she brings as well that I suspect would be repeated which is finding serpentine shapes, a heavy outline, exaggerating certain facial features to take the portrait, to twist it slightly to make it feel more modernist.

I think she's definitely an artist who doesn't care that much about making a portrait as she does about making a great painting Kate Bryan

Tai felt it was interesting watching Courtenay paint and also deal with the situation and model. He opined that

"the likeness is there but pushed to extremis because the dynamics demand that in a sense"

I raised an eyebrow and uttered "huh?"

My comments were 

I thought her palette and tonal choices for his head made him look very muddy an deformed.

Her objectives seemed to be to fill the canvas, rather than to paint the man in the pose he chose.

Details about the Exhibition by the Semi-Finalists

Noho Galleries will host an exclusive exhibition of works by the semi-finalists of Portrait Artist of the Year 2025, on view from 16 to 21 December 2025 at 67 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PT.

These are notes from their press release - edited for hype and hyperbole by me.

The Exhibition: "Marks of Reflection"

• brings together a selection of emerging and established talents from across the UK, 
• offers an insight into the breadth and vitality of contemporary portraiture today. 
• spans painting, drawing, and mixed media

Each artist won their heat in this year’s edition of the acclaimed television competition Portrait Artist of the Year which has uncovered new and interesting portrait artists over the last 12 series. (Unfortunately Vincent Stokes, who won Episode 7, is not participating. I would have really liked to see more of his work.)

The works on display reflect the diverse approaches by young and emerging artists that continue to redefine the portrait tradition 

Its aim is to offer a snapshot of how portraiture is developing in 2025 - by the artists featured above

The Panel Discussion "A View on Portraiture"

Noho Galleries will host “A View on Portraiture”, a special panel discussion featuring 

• Kate Bryan (art historian, curator and broadcaster) and 
• Curtis Holder (artist and Portrait Artist of the Year 2020 winner). 

The discussion will take place on Thursday 18 December, 5–6pm, immediately preceding the Private View. 

Together, the speakers will explore the evolving role of portraiture in contemporary art and the enduring power of the painted face.