Chloe Barnes saw off 72 other artists to take the crown
Chloe Barnes, a UWE graduate, has just been crowned Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year 2025, making history as the first printmaker to win the award.
Graduating less than two years ago, Chloe studied BA Illustration and MA multi-disciplinary printmaking, bringing techniques she learnt in Bristol directly to the show.
Using monoprinting, a one-shot printmaking technique, Chloe impressed the judges with portraits of Mary Berry and Clara Amfo, as well as Succession actor Brian Cox, a picture that secured her the crown.
Chloe’s usage of monoprinting carried multiple risks, as it only gives the artist one chance to get a perfect portrait. She was the first person to use this technique on the programme. Up against 72 other artists, Chloe has won a £10,000 prize as well as a commission to paint author and broadcaster Hannah Fry for the Royal Society.
Hannah Fry, 2025 © Chloe Barnes via the Royal Society
Chloe credits UWE for much of her much of her success, stating “I fell in love with monoprinting during my undergraduate degree.”
“My lecturers, the print technicians, and the facilities allowed me to experiment and explore the medium, pushing its boundaries and discovering its relevance to the context behind my work.”
She continued: “I was delighted to be crowned the winner of this year’s series, becoming the first printmaker to ever win the competition.
“The prize was a commission by the Royal Society to create a portrait of mathematician and broadcaster professor Hannah Fry.
“I am the first woman to paint a portrait of a living female scientist at the Society, and it has been such an honour to champion and empower women in both STEM and the arts.”
The Royal Society displayed Chloe’s portrait this week, with it set to be hung inside the institution for the foreseeable future.
All images via UWE Bristol Facebook