4C Group and UKNA Announce the Bursary Recipient for 2023
15 May 2023
4C Group and UK New Artists are delighted to announce that the second recipient of the bursary is Manchester-based artist, Parham Ghalamdar.
Following a year filled with successful exhibitions and art partnerships, 4C Group and UKNA are excited to extend their partnership to create valuable opportunities for UKNA Alumni artists over the next three years. The key component of the partnership is a significant investment with an annual 4C Group bursary. The bursary, managed by UKNA for twelve months, offers a £10,000 investment to support the artist’s professional practice and creative development.
4C Group UKNA bursary recipient, Parham Ghalamdar (b. 1994, Tehran, Iran) is a painter working and living in Manchester, he graduated from the Manchester School of Art in 2021. His work draws on Persian and Western art traditions, graffiti, the internet, and digital culture. He recently had a solo exhibition titled “Painting, An Unending” at the main gallery of HOME in Manchester and has shown work in Bavan Gallery, Tehran, Iran, the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, Castlefield Gallery in Manchester, Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.
The entries were assessed according to the criteria laid out in the brief to artists. The panel was seeking artists who demonstrate and articulate a need for the bursary, and those who showed significant potential, original voice, and interest in being part of the New Artist Collective Derby 2024.
Christina Prickett, Marketing and Communications Director of 4C Group was on the list of the stellar panel of judges made up of UKNA’s Board of Trustees, Creative ThinkTank, and the wider arts sector. Christina said, ‘‘I felt privileged to serve on the panel alongside a truly sensational group of creatives. I found the process extremely challenging given the amount of talent possessed by each of the shortlisted artists. We’re thrilled that Parham has accepted the bursary; both his story and practice are very unique and we look forward to seeing his artistic journey continue to develop over the course of the year!’’
4C Group UKNA bursary recipient, Parham Ghalamdar: ‘‘I am thrilled to be awarded the 4C Group UK New Artists Bursary 2023/24, and I am deeply honoured and grateful for the opportunity. It gives me a sense of encouragement and confidence to continue pushing the boundaries of my creative expression. It will provide me with the necessary resources to expand my artistic vision into new mediums and challenge me to create work that is both meaningful and impactful. I am excited to see where this journey will take me and how this award will shape my artistic practice in the years to come.”
Michelle Bowen, Director of UK New Artists: ‘‘The panel had a difficult job as we met so many wonderful artists, however, it was Parham’s narrative and journey which the panel loved hearing and the opportunities for his practice to explore new mediums and ways of working which we found compelling. We considered that the award would enable him to make the greatest impact and change his practice and artistic journey.”
Additionally, throughout the 12 month-programme, Parham will have an opportunity to engage with Canopy by Hilton London City, an eco-conscious 340-room hotel based in London’s Aldgate, owned and managed by 4C Group. Parham will also receive a place on the Taking Place New Artist Collective in Derby 2023/24.
‘Painting, An Unending’ Parham Ghalamdar’s solo exhibition at HOME, Manchester, UK.
About UK New Artists (UKNA)
We are an organisation that seeks to build capacity and create opportunities for emerging creatives to be seen & heard; empowering artists to develop skills & communicate ideas effectively; helping to ensure a vibrant & diverse future for the UK.
About 4C Group
4C Group manages and develops properties and hotels in key business districts and leisure hot spots across the UK, Middle East, East Africa, and Canada. The company was formed in 2010, building on the foundations of a family property business that stretches back to the 1990s. The group’s mission is to operate sustainably and delight guests and investors, whilst striving to deliver a positive environmental and social impact within local communities.
Click here for more information on 4C Group and UKNA partnership.