FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2026
Artist Bar Reddin exhibits new work exploring the human response to digital culture at Oxo Gallery,
selected for the 2026 Derwent Art Prize in London
Bar Reddin, The Garden Party – Darren, 2025, chalk pastel and acrylic on linen, 60cm x 50 cm
London, UK – Artist Bar Reddin has been selected by the Derwent Art Prize for its 2026 shortlist and will exhibit work at the Derwent International Art Prize Exhibition at Oxo Gallery in London, on view April 9 – 19, 2026.
Reddin’s current work serves as a visceral response to the disillusionment of the millennial generation, shaped in part by his background in content moderation and his experiences navigating the psychological weight of digital culture. His chalk pastel and acrylic works on linen offer a deeply human and textured response to the so-called “digital void” he once helped filter through. The figures he depicts are seemingly ordinary yet caught in moments that feel introspective, immediate, and steeped in malaise.
The work selected by the jury, titled The Garden Party – Darren, depicts one such ambiguous scene. Is this a moment of quiet away from the party, or is there no party at all? Throughout all his current work, Reddin reflects a world on the brink of desperate connection, reintroducing tangible, human presence in contrast to the omnipresent detachment of screen-based experiences.
Reddin’s selection for the Derwent Art Prize and his inclusion in the exhibition marks a significant milestone within his broader multidisciplinary practice and how art can respond to our current technological moment.
The Derwent Art Prize is one of the leading international awards dedicated to works created in pencil. Chosen by a distinguished panel of jurors, Charles Villeneuve de Janti, Modupeola Fadugba, and Kathleen Soriano, the shortlisted exhibition highlights the breadth and versatility of pencil as a medium, spanning hyper-realistic, expressive, and experimental approaches to drawing. The shortlist represents 71 artworks from over 5,000 submissions by 2,100 artists across 77 countries.
Reddin’s recent and upcoming exhibitions include the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition at The OXO Gallery, London (2026), Grogan’s Winter Show (2025/26), and his solo exhibition Beneath/Between at BKB Visual Arts Studio, Dublin (2024).
Details
Derwent Art Prize 2026 – Shortlisted Exhibition
April 9 – April 19, 2026
Oxo Gallery
Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House St
London SE1 9PH
United Kingdom
About Bar Reddin
Born in Portlaoise in 1984, Bar Reddin is an award-winning artist and writer whose work serves as a visceral response to the disillusionment of the millennial generation. After studying at the Waterford Institute of Technology, Reddin spent over a decade living and working in Belgium and Finland – a period of nomadic exploration that deeply informed his perspective on displacement and the search for “topophilia,” or the love of place.
Reddin’s practice is uniquely shaped by his professional background in the “dark and murky world” of content moderation. Years spent filtering the digital void catalyzed a profound shift in his creative output. Upon returning to Ireland in 2017, he initially sought the non-linear sanctuary of abstraction. However, in 2025, Reddin underwent a deliberate pivot toward the figurative. This evolution is a direct reaction to his experiences in tech, moving away from digital disconnection toward a tangible, human-centric narrative that strives for meaning in a fragmented world.
An internationally recognized literary voice, Reddin’s visual works are inextricably linked to his success as a storyteller. He is the winner of the 2025 Fish Publishing Short Story Prize and has been shortlisted for the Atlanta Review International Poetry Competition. His writing has been published globally by Liberties Press, Solas Nua, and Swerve Magazine, bridging the gap between the canvas and the page to reclaim the essential reality of the human experience.
Website: https://www.barreddin.com/
Instagram: @barreddin
About the Derwent Art Prize
Created in 2012 by Derwent, the Derwent Art Prize is an international competition celebrating excellence in artworks made in pencil. Open to artists worldwide, the prize highlights the versatility of pencil as a medium, showcasing works that range from hyper-realistic and representational to abstract and experimental.
The 2026 edition received over 5,000 submissions from 2,100 artists across 77 countries, with 71 artworks selected for exhibition at The OXO Gallery in London and online. The prize awards over £13,500 annually across multiple categories, including First Prize, Young Artist Awards, and the People’s Choice Award.