The International Jewish Artists of the Year Award (IJAYA) Winners' Show

8th August - 4th September

Following the success of the IJAYA competition in 2004, Ben Uri Gallery is proud to host new work by the 5 winning artists from USA, Turkey, Israel and the UK. This exhibition is a unique opportunity for critics and visitors alike to review the contemporary influences prevailing today across 4 different countries in 3 different continents:

Last years overall winner, Yaki Assayag took the competition by storm with his photographic portraits, 'Ariela' and 'Michael and Elie'. The 34 year old has recently moved back to Tel Aviv where he lives and works, but it was his time in Brooklyn, New York City that inspired the work with which he won the competition in 2004. It is portraits that fascinate Yaki the most: 'I find Portraits are the most interesting side of photography as there are many ways to approach such a dynamic and fascinating subject'. Yaki's new work which is 3 portraits of sisters will be shown for the first time in the UK exclusively at the Ben Uri.

Suzy Hug Levy was last year's winner in sculpture with her piece 'Elbise 1 (Dress 1)'. Hug Levy was born in Istanbul and currently lives and works there. In 1993 she was awarded Contemporary Artist of the Year by the Painting and Sculpture Museum Association, Istanbul. In addition, she gained International Visual Artist of the Year from International Biographical Centre, England in 2004 and Artist of the Year (sculpture) from Ankara Arts Council, Turkey in 1998-2000.

Her works have been on exhibit across the world, dealing with the themes of environmentalism and feminism. She uses mostly waste material in her sculpture, a fresh and artistic form of recycling. Her new work holds true to her traditional methods and unique style. At the same time it presents the progression of ideas in feelings that the artist has undergone in the past year.

Last year's winner in the Painting/Drawing category, were the Russian born artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid. The Russian born artists won last year with their watercolour and pastel pieces titled 'The Big Bang' and 'Vanitas Still Life'. The two graduated from the Stroganov School of Art and Design in 1967 and soon after in the early 70s founded the Sots Art "Soviet Pop Art" which combined the principles of Dadism and Socialist Realism. During this period they also worked on multi-stylistic images, pioneering post-modernism which became popular in the 80s. In 1978 they moved to New York and continued developing their Sos Art and Post-Art throughout the 80s. They became the first Russian artists to receive the National Endowment for the Arts. Their most recent projects, "Symbols of the Big Bang" and "Nostalgic Non - conformism" are devoted to the synthesis of irony and spirituality. Vitaly Komar marks his British debut as a solo artist with seven works from his contemporary '3 Day Weekend' series and 'Bluebird Café Paintings' series. These works were launched this summer in New York at the Bown Gallery but will be on display for the first time in Europe at the Ben Uri.

Noam Edry was the winner of last year's Under-26 New Media category. Her winning video, Princeless Ever After, is a surreal account of a young girl's passions, so intense that they border on the grotesque. Dancing with a virtual man in androgynous attire and a ridiculously oversized wig, she weaves her daydream with such conviction that she herself is swept away by it. "The "Sound of Music" soundtrack and the baroque-style costumes are completely foreign to Israeli culture and serve as hints of the duality within me, reminders of my unforgettable childhood and adolescence spent in Britain."

It was Dalya Moss' 'Untitled' bronze and ceramic shell piece that made her the 2004 winner in the Under 26 sculpture grouping. Moss is a native of Jerusalem and was educated in Britain. She recently graduated from Cardiff, and now lives and works in London. Her work this year typifies her practice with an emphasis on process and making, she pushes the boundaries of casting. Each piece she creates is an artefact of activity that loosely explores and mimics the make up of the natural or architectural structures of the world, resulting in tactile and delicate forms.

Opening hours: Mon - Thurs 10am - 5.30pm, Fri 10am - 3pm, Sunday 12 - 4pm

Admission: Adult £3/Conc £2 Free BU Friends & NACF Members

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE ONLY OPEN DURING OUR EXHIBITIONS UNLESS CLEARLY STATED. UNFORTUNATELY THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IS NOT ON CONTINUOUS DISPLAY