Saatchi's school searches for a star

Published on Sunday 22 November 2009 22:13

SIX hopefuls are aiming to be the next big thing by being granted the tutelage of art world supremo Charles Saatchi after a new television talent search. At stake is the chance to be given exposure on the international scene by art industry "kingmaker" Saatchi by featuring in one of his exhibitions.

The virtual unknowns – Suki Chan, Matt Clark, Eugenie Scrase, Saad Qureshi, Ben Lowe and Samuel Zealey – have been whittled down from an initial 12 who will be seen starting the series in the first episode of School of Saatchi, broadcast on BBC2 tonight.

Despite lending his name to the series and making the final judgment on the winner, publicity-shy Saatchi is not actually seen on screen.

The enigmatic collector even shuns the openings of his own galleries and exhibition launches.

Expert panellists in the show, including artist Tracey Emin, art collector Frank Cohen and the critic Matthew Collings, helped to advise Saatchi during the selection process

The six artists – chosen for their raw talent and creative edge – will be seen attending a unique art school, established just for them, where over the course of ten weeks they were able to develop their skills.

Eminent artists such as Martin Creed and Mat Collishaw are among those who have guided them.

Collings said: "Opportunities like this do not arise every day and in most people's lives they never arise.

These artists have got to come up with something that's got to be impressive so there's a great deal of pressure that Saatchi is putting on them."

Saatchi will eventually choose one of the artists to exhibit their work at Newspeak: British Art Now, his exhibition at The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Also at stake is a free studio which the winner can use for three years.

The four-part series is part of The Modern Beauty Season on BBC2 and BBC4 looking at beauty in modern art.

THE SIX ARTISTS ARE:

&#149 Suki Chan – aged 32, lives in East London.

Suki studied Fine Art Textiles at Goldsmiths College and completed an MA in Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art.

Born in Hong Kong, her parents moved to Oxford when she was six. Although she studied fine art at college, Suki now concentrates on film, video and photography, often combining them in mixed-media installations. She works from her tiny bedroom in a flat above a shop.

&#149 Matt Clark – aged 25, lives in London.

Graduated in 2007 from Central St Martins. Art has always been his passion and was the only subject in which he was interested at school. Since finishing his Fine Art degree he has established himself in London with a studio in Brixton. He has put on a number of shows and also works part-time as an art technician for an exhibitions service. He's interested in the fantastical and a recent installation explores an apocalyptic theme.

&#149 Ben Lowe – aged 33, from West London.

Ben is a painter. He has never attended art school, but has been working successfully as a commercial artist for ten years, carrying out commissions for places such as hotels. Ben is practical about having to earn a living to pay the bills, but wonders whether a lack of formal training has held him back in the art world. He even cancels his honeymoon to take part in the series.

&#149 Saad Qureshi – aged 23, currently studying in London.

Saad studied Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University and is currently working towards his MFA in Fine Art Painting from Slade School of Art. He became interested in art because of a inspirational teacher and he wants to become a full-time practising artist.

He came to the UK from Pakistan at the age of ten, living first in Bradford then moving to Oxford. He works in mixed media, from installation to sculpture to painting, and explores issues of cultural identity.

&#149 Eugenie Scrase – aged 20, from London.

The youngest of the six is currently studying Fine Art Sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art where her tutors were encouraging about the TV series.

Born in France, she moved to Britain in the early 1990s with her family and lived in Buckingham. Difficulties with dyslexia meant she spent most evenings in the school art department. Her sculptures and installations are formed largely from found objects.

&#149 Samuel Zealey – aged 23 from Brentwood, Essex.

Samuel completed a BA in Fine Art Painting at Wimbledon College of Art last year. He is a sculptor and has established his own studio, working part time as an art technician.

He rebelled against art as a youngster – his mother is a printmaker and his father a sculptor – but later made a U-turn. His installations often involve scientific ideas, with one based around magnets and vacuum cleaners.