Rising Star of the Year EDGEBOROUGH SCHOOL
As the youngest exhibitor at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and an artist shortlisted for 2021’s Jackson Painting Prize, Alfie Griffiths richly deserved this award
Avery talented artist who’s passionate about the subject, Alfie has a wealth of experience for someone of such a young age. He has a very exciting future in the art world ahead of him, and it’s very rare to find a pupil with so much experience and talent for his age who’s also so humble about his ability.
Aged nine in 2018, Alfie won the local art competition at Farnham Maltings with large beetle collages. By the time he’d turned 10 in 2019, Alfie had a set of six portraits exhibited in Farnham Station Gallery.
Also in 2019, Alfie was awarded an internal art scholarship at school, making him an Ambassador of Art and the next year, he had two artworks selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (1,000 pieces were chosen from 14,000 entries). To date, he’s the youngest exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
In 2020, Alfie was featured in the BBC documentary Sale of Painting, and he had two artworks accepted for the first Young Royal Academy Summer Show (YASS). One was shown in the online gallery and one in the Royal Academy exhibition. Last year he entered a painting into the Jackson Painting
Prize, making the shortlist (42 pieces chosen from more than 8,600 entries).
Last summer, Alfie had an entry in the Young Royal Academy Summer Show, as well as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Last year, he was awarded an art scholarship to Bryanston School, in Somerset which will give him a wonderful opportunity to pursue his passion and talent.
Alfie has his own website (alfredgriffiths.com) which includes his portfolio to date, sketchbooks and his DT interests and projects.
Edgeborough was delighted to support Alfie on his journey. His preferred media is oil, working in immense detail. He was awarded an internal art scholarship in year seven, and he has been closely supported by Head of Art,
Clare Lock. His enthusiasm has been fuelled by visits from professional artists such as Joshua Waterhouse and trips to galleries (pre-Covid) and exhibitions locally, London and abroad (Bilbao and Paris).
As Edgeborough’s Ambassador of Art, Alfie inspired fellow pupils and helped them express and expand their individual creativity and skills. The school prides itself in finding and nurturing a passion or talent in every pupil and boasts notable successes across many fields; climbing, sport, music and now art. Alfie loves school and being with his friends, and doing well academically and enjoying sport are hugely important, providing a great balance for him.
The impact on school has been overwhelming: it has brought tremendous joy and inspiration to many and showcased the school’s art department talent. Alfie’s example has been invaluable to those with other raw talents waiting in the wings. edgeborough.co.uk
THE IMPACT ON SCHOOL HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING: it has brought tremendous joy AND INSPIRATION TO MANY