Guyanese-British artist Frank Bowling was announced as the 2022 winner of the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, given by Museum Ludwig.
Frank Bowling with be given the award on November 15 at the Museum Ludwig. The maximum amount prescribed by the award is €100,000, though it has not been made clear how much Bowling would receive. In addition to the award, the museum will also add his Flogging The Dead Donkey (2016) to their collection. On the same day, Bowling would receive his award, his work would be opened for exhibition.
Frank Bowling is known for the use of monochromatic groups of colors in his works. His style is inspired by both British landscapes and American abstraction. Bowling’s themes have always pertained to personal stories and global histories. The 87-year old artist has been active in the field for over six decades.
Zoé Whitley (Director, Chisenhale Gallery, London), who was a juror for the award, said:
“It is no exaggeration to say that Frank Bowling’s paintings and critical writings have redefined the possibilities of painting. It pays tribute to a determined and uniquely inventive personality in the history of abstract painting.”
Yilmaz Dziewior (Director, Museum Ludwig) also said:
“In [Bowling’s] work, the spirit of American color field painting as well as British abstraction combine to form an incomparable, very independent position.”
Since the 1970s, Bowling’s works have been exhibited in a number of museums across the world. These include the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Tate Britain, Haus der Kunst, and Sharjah Art Foundation. However, this marks the first time his works would be owned by a German museum. Most recently, Bowling was in news for a legal battle against the Hales Gallery.
