Overall Winner, AOTY24

Bea Last, The Red Bags (II)

Bea Last is a professional Contemporary Artist, Mentor, and Educator. Based in Scotland, her practice extends both nationally and internationally. She has exhibited widely, most recently in Venice as a finalist for the Laguna Arte Prize and in York in 2023 as a finalist for the Aesthetica Art Prize.

In 2024, Bea was honoured with the VAA Artist of the Year Award, as well as the local Artist of the Year award from D&G Life, sponsored by The Crichton Trust, in recognition of her contributions to the Dumfries and Galloway community.

With extensive experience across commercial galleries, corporate commissions, public exhibitions, and artist-run initiatives, Bea has also served on various selection panels in partnership with Creative Scotland – the Scottish equivalent of The Arts Council. Additionally, she has training and hands-on experience working with young people facing learning barriers.

As a Mentor and Educator, Bea facilitates UpLand Arts’ Visual Arts Studio Portfolio Preparation Course – designed for young artists applying to art school. She also mentors both emerging and established artists, supporting them in their creative careers.

International Winner, AOTY24

Anikó Boda, Treasure Island

Dr Anikó Boda is a Hungarian visual artist whose work is rooted in her background as a gynaecologist and obstetrician. Her paintings explore the human condition through a lens shaped by both medical insight and personal memory, often forming a kind of “visual medical dictionary”. Boda’s process is intuitive and reflective – she gathers conceptual and visual ideas over time, allowing them to evolve before developing them into detailed sketches and expansive compositions. In her work Treasure Island, childhood memories unfold into a layered dreamscape, mapping joy, vulnerability and resilience across an imaginary terrain.

Having turned to art in her thirties, Boda approaches each painting with urgency and intention. Her philosophy – “Work now, you could lose all that force tomorrow” – underpins a practice that prioritises clarity, meaning and high-quality craftsmanship. While awards and exhibitions mark her professional path, Boda finds true success in lifelong learning, creative freedom and the ability to connect with audiences through uncompromising work. Her paintings offer a space to reflect on what it means to live, feel and remember – always in flux, always becoming.

Professional Artist Winner, AOTY24

Einat Lev Ari, 7 October

Einat Lev Ari is an Israeli artist whose creative journey spans decades, beginning with studies in interior design before transitioning to art under the mentorship of Yoav Shu’ali. She furthered her education at the Midrasha School of Art and in sculpture with leading Israeli sculptors. Alongside her artistic pursuits, Einat holds degrees in psychology, management, and art therapy, currently running a therapy clinic while studying multidisciplinary art at Shenkar University. Her work is informed by both her psychological background and her exploration of emotional and psychological states, often addressing contemporary life’s tensions, uncertainties, and experiences. Using various materials, Einat aims to provoke thought, create connection, and promote healing through her art.

In the past year, Einat received significant recognition, including the “Artist of the Year 2024” award from AVV and exhibiting at the Jerusalem Biennale. Despite facing personal challenges, such as trauma from the 2023 terror attack and language barriers due to ADHD, she remains dedicated to her artistic practice. Einat is focused on expanding her work into new media and further exposing her art globally. Her ongoing goal is to bridge the realms of art and therapy, using her creative process to facilitate both personal and societal healing while continuing to grow as an artist.