The OUP Pirye Prize is an annual commission open to second year students from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. It provides an opportunity for students to experience the whole process of turning an original concept into a site-specific work, transforming an initial idea into an actual work of art.  A student then exhibits their piece as public art in the OUP Bookshop on the High Street in Oxford.

Running for the past twelve years, the Pirye Prize was named after Dr Pirye, an early 16th century tenant of the Bookshop site and the judging panel has included well-known names of the art world including Adrian Searle, Andrew Wilson, Sarah Kent, Ossian Ward. This year’s guest judge was Martin Herbert from the Arts Review.

The judges thought the work was so strong this year, that Kevin Brown (OUP) offered an exhibition to a short list of six second year students in the Walton Street offices of OUP: Hannah Clarkson, Stephen Polatch, Robert Branigan, Finbar Ward, Rhea Storr and Jakob Rowlinson.