JM Finn’s annual Bursary award supports an outstanding graduate artist to help them establish their practice with a contribution towards studio costs during their first year of professional practice. Now in its fourth year, the award recognises an emerging artist whose work demonstrates exceptional promise.
Anastasiia Kyrpenko, a recent graduate of City & Guilds of London Art School, has been announced as the winner of the 2026 JM Finn Graduate Artist Award, presented at Affordable Art Fair Battersea Autumn.
The award forms part of JM Finn's longstanding partnership with Affordable Art Fair and reflects the firm's commitment to supporting the next generation of creative talent.
Selected by Graduate Exhibition Curator Jo McLaughlin, Affordable Art Fair UK Fair Director Hugo Barclay and JM Finn Head of Marketing Oliver Tregoning, Anastasiia Kyrpenko was chosen from a group of 30 recent graduates exhibiting in this year's Graduates Exhibition. Bringing together artists from 14 leading UK art schools, the exhibition showcases the breadth and diversity of emerging artistic talent across the country.
The shortlist for the 2026 award comprised Anastasiia Kyrpenko, Beatrice Wadey of Central Saint Martins and Georgia Kewitz of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. The judges were particularly impressed by Kyrpenko's sensitive use of material and colour, and the way her paintings transform personal memories into an exploration of displacement, belonging and identity.
Drawing on family photographs, Kyrpenko's work captures intimate domestic moments shaped by the experience of war and displacement. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, wood and found materials, her paintings preserve fragments of everyday life, creating a personal archive of memory, loss and home.
Jo McLaughlin, Graduate Exhibition Curator, explained the reasons for Anastasiia’s selection: “Anastasiia’s work stood out for its skill, maturity and potential, and we were equally impressed by her determination to build a career as a visual artist. The calibre of artists in this year’s exhibition was exceptionally high, bringing together a remarkable range of practices, perspectives and ideas. Graduating from art school is an exciting but often daunting moment, and we felt Anastasiia was a very worthy winner who would make the most of the £5,000 grant to develop her practice at this pivotal stage in her career.”
Hugo Barclay, UK Fair Director of Affordable Art Fair, continued: “The Graduates Exhibition is one of the ways we put our commitment to making art accessible into practice, giving recent graduates the opportunity to present their work to new audiences alongside established galleries. Our partnership with JM Finn allows us to go a step further, providing meaningful financial support to an artist at the beginning of their professional journey. We’re delighted to recognise Anastasiia Kyrpenko as this year’s winner and look forward to seeing how her career develops.”
Commenting on the award, Oliver Tregoning, Head of Marketing at JM Finn said: “Supporting emerging artists is central to JM Finn’s partnership with Affordable Art Fair. Anastasiia’s brilliant work made a strong impression on the judging panel; we are pleased that this award will give her practical support as she takes the next step in her career, and we look forward to following the development of her practice.”
