Loewe Foundation and Studio Voltaire Announce Winners for Award Tackling Economic Disparity Among Artists

Seven artists have been announced as the recipients of studio space and a £5,000 grant from Loewe Foundation and Studio Voltaire, in the third edition of an award designed to confront the lack of affordable artist workspaces in London.

Now in its third year, the award counted over 500 applicants, but ultimately went to painter and drag performer Lulu Bennett; artist, poet, and DJ Chaney Diao; photographer Jesse Glazzard; artist, writer, and listener Taey Iohe; video artist and social practitioner michael.; Shenece Oretha, a multidisciplinary artist working with sound, and artist and filmmaker Bryan Giuseppi Rodriguez Cambana.

These recipients will move into Studio Voltaire in September, joining current studio residents like Lubna Chowdhary, Anthea Hamilton, and Nnena Kalu, who have gone on to exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, enter the collection of Tate, and contend for the Turner Prize.

The award was devised to address issues of economic disparity amongst artists. A survey by London charity Acme conducted between 2021 and 2022 found three of four artists renting from them who responded (226 of 850) struggled financially, with over a quarter of their income going to studio rent. 

A third of respondents said they may stop practising within five years due to financial pressures. Its waiting list counted over 1,200 artists seeking affordable workspace. 

‘It’s clear that there are not enough genuine options for artist studios with long-term tenure in London,’ the report reads.

The selection panel comprised Sepake Angiama of iniva, artists Anthea Hamilton and Elizabeth Price, and Studio Voltaire director Joe Scotland and curator Dot Zhihan Jia, and included nominations by artists Jadé Fadojutimi, Rachel Jones, and Tai Shani.

The international award recipient will be announced later this year. —[O]

Editor’s Note: This article was amended on 29 July 2025. It erroneously stated that Lubna Chowdhary and Anthea Hamilton were previous recipients of the Loewe Foundation / Studio Voltaire award.

Main image: Chaney Diao, In and Out of Sync (2025). Exhibition view: Knotted Timelines, Seager, London (29 May–14 June 2025). Courtesy the artist.