Ireland’s best portraits of 2024: National Gallery of Ireland announces AIB prize shortlists

The National Gallery of Ireland has revealed the 46 artists shortlisted for this year’s AIB portrait prizes.
The shortlist for the AIB Portrait Prize, which aims to show “the breadth of contemporary Irish art”, comprises 26 artists from across the island of Ireland working across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and photography.
The winner of the prize will receive €15,000 in cash and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection, for which they will be awarded a further €5,000. There will also be two other awards of €1,500 for highly commended entries.
David Stephenson, a fine art photographer and film-maker from Dublin, was selected as the winner of last year’s prize for his photograph, Ann and Ollie, Main Street, Wexford, after Dublin artist David Booth won the competition in 2022 for his painting, Salvatore, 2021.
The judging panel this year consists of artist Hughie O’Donoghue, The Model director Emer McGarry and Simon O’Connor, director of the Museum of Literature Ireland.
Meanwhile, there were 20 young artists aged between three and 18 years old shortlisted for the AIB Young Portrait Prize, which is now in its sixth year. Five winners will be selected – one from each respective age category and an overall winner – and will receive a bespoke art box, with the overall winner also being awarded a €500 cash prize.
The judges are author-illustrator and motivational speaker Ashwin Chacko, visual street artist Emmalene Blake and Sheena Barrett, head of research and learning at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
An exhibition featuring a shortlist of portraits from both competitions will go on display in the National Gallery from November 9th, 2024, until March 9th, 2025.