Puerto Rican artist wins prestigious award in London – Repeating Islands

[Many thanks to artist Rafael Trelles for bringing this item to our attention.] Metro PR reports that Puerto Rican artist José “Jun” Martínez won the Valerie Beston Artists Trust Award of the Royal College of Art in London, saluting him as one the top 10 “Most Promising Artists in Painting.”

Puerto Rican artist José “Jun” Martínez won this Thursday a prestigious award from the Royal College of Art in London, England. Martínez, who has just graduated with a master’s degree, won the “Valerie Beston Artists Trust Award” for the Class of 2024, also heading the select list of the Top 10 of the “Most Promising Artists in Painting.”

The exhibition featured works by students graduating in various disciplines, including printing, photography, ceramics, glass, contemporary art practice, contemporary art curating, jewelry and metal, writing, sculpture, and painting.

Renowned gallery owner and cultural manager, Walter Otero, who congratulated Martínez for “continuing a path of success for the pride of all Puerto Ricans,” reported that among the artist’s immediate plans are three individual exhibitions in Europe: two in the United Kingdom and one in Spain.

“The Painting Department had the largest number of visitors, which made it the busiest area of ​​the entire exhibition. Likewise, it was the most demanding, with the most impressive and promising artists who showed a wide range of styles, from complete abstraction to highly realistic figurative painting,” Otero stressed.

For the tenth year in a row, the Royal College of Art has been ranked the number one Art and Design university in the world, according to QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. Admissions are highly competitive as the university has an impressive line-up of alumni, including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Chris Ofili, and Tracey Emin.

Translated by Ivette Romero. For original article, see https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2024/06/27/artista-boricua-se-alza-con-prestigioso-premio-en-londres/