For an innovative and engaging humanesque work in any media

The UK’s longest-running and most prestigious artists’ cooperative, The London Group, exhibited its 86th Open exhibition at the Copeland Gallery from 8th – 23rd November 2025. In November 2025, I offered the inaugural Armour Studio Award for works selected into The London Group Open. 

The Armour Studio Award is for an innovative and engaging humanesque work in any media. Humanesque: pertaining to the body and the human condition. The focus is on the essence of being human, and all media are included from analogue to digital.

Why The Armour Studio Award? My motivation for offering this award is two fold:
I have always believed in giving something back to any organisation in which I am involved.
And at the same time I want to encourage artists to view the body as a site for exploration and creative enquiry. 

There were several strong contenders for this award and decisions were made by looking not only at the artwork in this exhibition but also delving into the artists wider practice. I was drawn to Mandeep Dillon’s gossamer skins, which resonates so much about the body and the ephemeral nature of human existence. I see the skin as an interface between the human and the world around us. Mandeep talks about the delicate balance between the inner and outer pressure of her inflatables which are often re-purposed for new artworks – which reflects my thinking that we are all made of other people. 

In her work, Mandeep Dillon is touching upon an uncanny and visceral abstraction which draws a powerful parallel to the nature of the body. With Nothing Gold Can Stay, Dillon captures a strong sense of ‘The Humanesque’.

Congratulations, Mandeep! To see more of Mandeep’s work, click here.