Rinella Alfonso wins Royal Award for Modern Painting 2021

15 July 2021

We congratulate Rinella Alfonso, who graduated from the BA Fine Art in 2019 for winning the Royal Award for Modern Painting 2021. His Majesty the King presented the prize on 14 July 2021 at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

Rinella Alfonso (26) already stood out in the exhibition last year. At that time, she showed a composition of dark spots and lines that, as the title indicated, represented a close-up section of skin with cellulite. [...]...with the same playful humour, this year she portrayed a (again not immediately recognisable) 'wounded ashtray' and painted a surrealistic shower scene. What she paints takes on a 'poetic dimension', noted the jury.

Anna van Leeuwen, de Volkskrant 14 July 2021

Exhibition

The exhibition of the winning works and a selection of the shortlisted paintings is open to the public from 15 July to 3 October in the Palace on the Dam.

KABK alumni-winners of previous editions

In previous editions, the prestigious Royal Award has been received by amongst others, KABK alumni Janne Schipper (2020), Machteld Rullens (2019), Suzie van Staaveren (2017), Niels Broszat (2014), Bob Eikelboom (2014), Wieteke Heldens (2013),