Guest Judges Announced for the 2026 Graduate Art Show
We are pleased to welcome Paul Butterworth and Sam Joseph as guest judges for the Graduate Art Show 2026.
Both former participants, they bring a valuable perspective shaped by their own experience of the show and the paths their practices have taken since.
Their involvement adds a meaningful full-circle moment to this year’s edition, and we’re excited to have them play a part in selecting the next generation of artists.
PAUL BUTTERWORTH
Paul Butterworth is a contemporary abstract painter based in Cambridge, UK, working alongside a long-standing career as an actor in film and television.
Trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, he has appeared across five decades of screen work, from The Full Monty to Allelujah (dir. Richard Eyre) and the BBC series Strike.
Alongside his acting career he maintained a longstanding interest in painting, eventually returning to formal study when his son left for university.
He completed a BA (Hons) in Painting with the University for the Creative Arts in 2024 after several years of part-time study through the Open College of the Arts.
Butterworth’s paintings explore colour-led geometric abstraction developed through a disciplined studio process, creating works that function as dynamic focal points within architectural spaces.
He was selected for The Graduate Art Show winners’ exhibition at the Vanner Gallery in Salisbury, and his work has since been recognised in several national competitions including the Jackson’s Art Prize extended longlist (2025 and 2026), the RISE Emerging Artist Prize shortlist at Henley Festival, and the Beep Painting Biennial longlist.
SAM JOSEPH
Sam Joseph is a London-based visual artist, filmmaker, curator, and designer whose interdisciplinary practice interrogates systemic inequalities, socio-spatial narratives, and societal structures, with a focus on gender-based violence. Her work foregrounds women’s resilience and strength, challenging stereotypes while engaging audiences in layered reflections on social injustice. Sam bridges personal narrative, collective voice, and political urgency establishing her as a courageous contemporary artist.
She holds an MA in Print 2025 and an MA in Interior Design 2024 from the Royal College of Art, a Graduate Diploma in Art and Design 2023, and a BA (Hons) in Fashion from Central Saint Martins 1997.
In 2025, she completed a residency at RCA superSATELLITE, producing an award-winning film and leading collaborative projects, exhibitions, panel discussions, and community events. She was commissioned by Wandsworth Council for Visible Voices: Exploring Safety for Women and Girls in Wandsworth Town Centre.
Sam curated in/visible (part of the invisible series) at Hockney Gallery, London, presenting global perspectives on gender-based violence. Her debut short film (IN)VISIBLE screened at over 27 festivals, winning 14 awards and challenging cinematic conventions around domestic abuse. Her second hybrid experimental film, FALLEN, expands into installation, VR, and screenprints, inspired by the Killed Women’s Fallen Women campaign and advocacy for policy change.
Currently pursuing a practice-led Architecture PhD at the Royal College of Art, Sam is developing her first feature film alongside related artworks and public events. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including The Graduate Art Show, BBC Big Screen, Milan Design Week, Hyundai Awards, and Bankside Gallery, and featured in Dezeen, M-A (A Space Between), and MIX-In Colour.