British artist Kate Brinkworth graduated with a First in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent in 2000 & has worked as an artist since then. She has exhibited internationally alongside major collaborations with leading brands including Coca-Cola and Supreme.

Her work includes subtle drawings, black and white paintings – and photorealist paintings using iconic items as still lives. These stem from her curiosity in films, particularly those in the style of Hitchcock. She is inspired by effects created through experimentation with focus, camera angles & lighting. Using the language of film, advertising & photography to create her work.

"After last year’s theme of Escapism, Connection feels like a natural continuation. We have all recently felt the various sensations that disconnection, connection & reconnection can bring. Whether it be literal - connections & bonds we find with each other, with the physical & natural world that surrounds us or exploring connections we feel & experience on a sensory level, this theme offers broad scope for exploration."

Tom Croft is a portrait painter, working out of his studio in Oxford. He has produced paintings for a wide range of clients, from Manchester United Football Club to Oxford colleges and private commissions.

Some of Tom’s most notable portraits include the first female bishop Libby Lane, author Mark Haddon, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, musical artist Tinie Tempah, BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz, Radiohead bass player Colin Greenwood and footballers Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. Tom appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year and featured on the BBC One TV show Extraordinary Portraits, where he painted the former Royal Marine and the first triple amputee in the UK to survive the Afghanistan conflict, Mark Ormrod MBE.

He opens his studio to the public during Oxfordshire Artweeks each year and is a member of the Oxford Art Society. He is also a member of the Contemporary British Portrait Painters Collective (CBPP), a group showcasing the best portrait artists working in Britain today.

In March 2020 Tom started #portraitsfornhsheroes by offering a free portrait to the first NHS key worker to contact him on Instagram. He then encouraged other portrait artists to do the same, and the initiative grew into a global project. There is now an online exhibition of the NHS portraits in association with Google Arts and Culture and the charity Paintings in Hospitals. Tom also produced a book with Bloomsbury Publishers showing over 700 of the thousands of free NHS portraits produced. Tom received a British Empire Medal for services to the Arts and to Charity during the Covid-19 response.

"I am thrilled to be one of the judges this year for the London Graphic Centre Art Prize. As a kid my dad would take me to the LGC whenever we were in town, so I have a strong history with the shop, and it still excites me walking in!

As a working portrait painter I know how important it is to get your work out there and be seen by as wide an audience as possible, to showcase your skills and potentially gain new sales and commissions.

I can also relate to the artists who enter and appreciate how nerve-wracking it can be to offer you work up for judgment.

However we will respect all the works, offer encouragement and any advice we think could help and I’m sure we’ll be blown away by the quality of the submissions. I can’t wait to see what is produced!

I’m also looking forward to trying to convince Theo to commission a portrait of himself to hang in the store…"

Brian Reed is an educator, artist and designer and is the course leader of the graphic design and illustration undergraduate courses at Solent University. With interests in communication, narrative and the construction of meaning via images and text, his artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally with works placed in the collections of Saatchi, UAL and private collectors.

"I am very honoured to be included on the panel and am extremely looking forward to reviewing the wide range of great creative work submitted on the theme of connection - experiencing the pleasure people had producing them - and discussing the works with the rest of the panel."

Cypriot born Theo Paphitis launched the Art Prize in 2022, and has a business empire that spans retail, property and finance. He has been in retail for over 40 years and in that time bought and revived the fortunes of the likes of Ryman, La Senza, Contessa, and Robert Dyas and launched global lingerie brand Boux Avenue in 2011. In 2016 he added the London Graphic Centre to his portfolio.

Theo is also known for his 8 years as Millwall Chairman, as well as many TV appearances, including most notably as a Dragon on the BBC's Dragons' Den. He supports several children and youth charities, through his Theo Paphitis Charitable Trust, and has also been Chancellor of Solent University since 2018.

"The quality of entries into last year’s Art Prize blew us all away, and we could see just how much it resonated with people when we saw the thousands who voted for the Peoples’ Choice Award. The competition showed the sheer breadth of artistic talent we have here in the UK and we are delighted to bring it back this year, with a new theme - tapping into that fantastic talent-base once again.

Art is such an important part of the fabric of our society and never more so now when times are tough and art can offer that light and escapism we are all after. I am excited to see this year’s entries and wish the entrants every success."

Jayne Kay has worked within the School of Visual Arts at City Lit for roughly thirty years after graduating from Wimbledon School of Art in the late 80’s where she studied painting. Throughout her years, Jayne has moved through various roles, including technician, tutor for drawing, printmaking and being part of the school's accredited art and design foundation course.

In her current remit as Head of School for Visual Arts, Jayne oversees the three programme areas that make up the school’s curriculum, these include 2D studies, 3D studies and advanced practice. Jayne continues to be an advocate for creative adult education and enjoys working with passionate, creative, and innovative people.

"I am extremely excited to be part of this year’s judging panel and to continue our work with London Graphic Centre. I am interested to see personal subjects being explored within the artwork and how they have used materials and various processes in a creative way"