Monday 20 July 2009
Texaco success brings Japan invitation to Donegal student
DUBLIN 20 JULY 2009 - Donegal student, 18-year old Mantas Poderys, will visit Japan later this year to attend an exhibition in Tokyo at which his prize-winning entry in this year's 55th Texaco Children's Art Competition will be displayed.
Travelling at the invitation of Japan's International Federation for Arts and Culture, Mantas will attend the opening of the exhibition which takes place from 29 July – 2 August at the prestigious Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo.
Described as a showcase for the world's best young artistic talent, the purpose behind the International Federation for Arts and Culture event is to provide an international platform for young people to engage in their artistic exploration of the world and to nurture a broader understanding of the experiences and events that impact on the younger generation across different cultures. Annually, some 5,000 students from countries as diverse as Japan, Australia, Egypt, Cambodia and China submit works to the festival.
From Letterkenny, Mantas recently won the €2,000 first prize in the recent Texaco Competition for his multiple image composition consisting of five self-portraits entitled 'You Talkin' to Me?' In addition to his €2,000 award, he received the £1,000 UTV/ Texaco Young Artist Commission which is presented each year to the overall winner.
A former student of St. Eunan's College and Letterkenny Vocational School, Mantas is currently attending the North West Regional College in Derry where he is studying for a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. He also studies at the Create-A-Link Art Studio in Letterkenny.
A regular participant in the competition, Mantas has been a major prize-winner in each of the last four years. In 2006, he won first prize in the 14-15 years age category for his painting entitled 'Gone for Lunch'. A year later, he won a €1,000 second prize for his painting entitled 'Queen of Tory and the Guardian Angel' - a work that was chosen to illustrate the 2008 Texaco Children's Art Calendar. Last year, he again featured amongst the prize-winners, winning a Special Merit award for a work entitled 'Home'.
Mantas is the second Texaco winner to be honoured with an invitation to visit Tokyo. Last year, 17-year old Clare student Lucy Carragher received a similar invitation which she attended with her mother. The invitation to Mantas includes return air tickets, hotel accommodation and meals for himself and guest, inclusive of a one-day guided tour of Tokyo and the services of a translator for the duration of his stay. It was directed to him via the Irish Embassy in Japan.
His painting will be exhibited alongside some 300 other art works by students from Japan and elsewhere. Included in these will be nine other winning paintings from the Texaco Competition.
-ENDS-