Ontario Artist Wins the $25,000 First Prize in the 20th RBC Canadian Painting Competition (CPC)

TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 - On Tuesday evening, a jury comprised of Canadian artists, educators, curators and writers announced Amanda Boulos, as this year's winner of the RBC Canadian Painting Competition (CPC) at Toronto's Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.  Honourable mentions were also awarded to artists Emmanuel Osahor and geetha thurairajah.

Boulos will receive $25,000 for her work entitled, "In the Morning," along with a residency at Banff Centre for the Arts. Osahor and thurairajah will each receive $15,000. In addition, these three paintings will become part of RBC's corporate art collection, which consists of more than 4,500 pieces of work by Canadian artists.

"I'm very thankful for the support RBC and Canadian Art has provided me, along with the chance to meet and build relationships with many emerging artists, peers and mentors," said Amanda Boulos, 2018 winner. "Opportunities like these enable creators to showcase their talents on a national scale and provide a platform to gain international exposure."

Based in Toronto and a 2017 graduate of the University of Guelph MFA program, Boulos uses the process of painting to rework her Palestinian ancestors' stories, as well as create new ones. The jury said "In the Morning" struck them as brave, nuanced, and powerful. Reckoning with both personal and cultural mythologies, Boulos's work is a vibrant approach to narrative painting and its history.

"RBC recognizes the need to create opportunities for promising new artists to commit to their craft and take their careers to the next level," said Corrie Jackson, Senior Art Curator, RBC. "Building on the legacy of the competition, we're excited to partner with the art community to reflect and reimagine how we can advance the next generation of Canadian artists."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the RBC Canadian Painting Competition, which has supported more than 250 emerging visual artists, providing mentorship, education, awards, and opportunities to showcase their talent worldwide. Heading into 2019 and given the ever-changing art landscape, RBC will be working closely with key partners to evolve its commitment to the visual arts in Canada.

"Canadian Art is pleased to partner with RBC on this important competition; an essential part of our mandate to support emerging artists. We congratulate all finalists, whose evolving talent we'll be watching with excitement and interest," said David Balzer, Co-Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Canadian Art.

The RBC CPC finalists' works will be on display at Toronto's Power Plant (231 Queens Quay West) from September 15th to 30th. For more information, and to view visuals and descriptions of the winning works, visit: rbc.com/paintingcompetition.