Mumbai-based artist Prajakta Potnis has been named the second recipient of the prestigious Loewe Foundation/Studio Voltaire Award for international artist residency. This award, established in 2021, aims to highlight creative thinking and individuality in contemporary art while promoting equitable representation across various social dimensions, including class, race, gender, sexuality, and disability.
The award provides Potnis with a year-long studio space at London’s Studio Voltaire, a £25,000 ($32,522) stipend to cover accommodations and living expenses, a production and travel budget, and a comprehensive professional development program. This residency will mark her first project in the United Kingdom, beginning in October.
Potnis, known for her work that explores the interplay between public and private influences in global politics and economics, uses painting, installation, and time-based media to question societal, governmental, and temporal boundaries. She expressed her excitement about the opportunity, stating, “It will be an invaluable opportunity to provide new contexts for comparative readings of some key issues I’ve been exploring, as well as to research and develop a new body of work that responds to these uncertain and trying times. The award will offer me a place for reflection and interaction within a thriving community of artists, activists, curators, and audiences. I am excited for the invaluable exchange of ideas and experiences.”
The selection process for this prestigious award involved key figures from the Indian art scene nominating twelve artists. Applications were reviewed and selected by art historian and curator Devika Singh, Studio Voltaire director Joe Scotland, and curator Dot Zhihan Jia. The inaugural recipient of the award was Hong Kong-based artist and independent publisher Beatrix Pang.
In addition to Potnis’s residency, the award provides two years of support to seven UK-based artists through rent-free studio spaces, professional development opportunities, and bursaries. The 2023–25 award recipients are Babajide Brian, Maz Murray, Emily Pope, Shamica Ruddock, Meera Shakti Osborne, Nick Smith, and Ossie Williams.
