Emerging Voices Shine at The Graduate Art Show’s 2025 Private View at The Vanner Gallery
Salisbury, 22 October 2025 — The Vanner Gallery hosted the Private View of The Graduate Art Show 2025, marking the opening of a vibrant exhibition celebrating the best of emerging graduate talent from across the UK.
The event drew an engaged audience of artists, collectors, and arts professionals, joined by special guests Helen Birchenough, Chair of Arts Council England South West, and John Glen MP, Member of Parliament for Salisbury.
Now in its third year, The Graduate Art Show continues to grow as one of the UK’s leading platforms for showcasing early-career artists. Following the summer exhibition at Woolff Gallery in London, the Salisbury edition presents a curated selection of outstanding BA and MA works chosen from a record number of submissions representing over 40 universities nationwide.
Founded by Professor Anand Saggar and Victoria Charlton, the initiative was established to bridge the gap between university and the professional art world, offering visibility, mentorship, and commercial opportunities to emerging artists. Now operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), the project is expanding its reach through new partnerships and sponsorships to sustain its mission of supporting graduates at this crucial stage in their artistic development.
“The energy in the room was inspiring,” said Victoria Charlton. “We’ve seen a record number of submissions this year, showing how vital it is to give space and visibility to these emerging voices.”
Guests enjoyed exploring an ambitious selection of works spanning painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and mixed media. The diversity of styles and themes underscored the strength and imagination of the next generation of artists represented.
One of the two prizes announced on the night was awarded to Hongyi Chen, MA Fine Art: Photography, Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, for the work Folds of Stillness. The series, made using UV print on acrylic and clear polyester film, explores where personal and external worlds meet through light, reflection, and shadow, reflecting on memory, emotion, and impermanence.
The exhibition runs at The Vanner Gallery, 45 High Street, Salisbury, SP1 2PB, from 24 October to 22 November 2025.
