Anahata Art Award 2024
On the 12th of July I held my very first Art Award for the Artists of Plymouth. I decided to call it the “Anahata Art Award”. The Anahata is a symbol of love and heart. Love creates unity and that was the main goal of this award. This award is for the revolutionaries, visionaries and crafters. It’s about bringing community together and creating a culture and space for artists & art to be recognized and heard. It’s about starting important conversations about society and our own inner being. I hope to provide artists with hope with this award, that they are valid and so is their art. It’s not about hierarchy or who is better. It’s just about artists being recognised for their work by the art scene itself.
This award consisted of cash prizes. £1000 prize & two £500 prizes. I also decided to add a photography prize too which consisted of two £500 prizes. The winners where voted on by myself, a group of curators from Plymouth called “Claiming Space”, a brand called INTINCT who work in fashion, architecture & giving artists/designers a platform to showcase their art. Another judge was the sponsor of this event.
I started this event by designing a poster and creating application forms for the artists to fill out. Some people didn’t understand my poster much, but I stuck with it because I knew what my vision was for this show. Advice to all Artists; follow your intuition and don’t compromise your creative vision ever! They may not understand right now but they will see soon. Believe in your ideas so hard even if people think your insane. You have the power of controlling your own destiny, no one else. You are limitless.
I was so nervous when I put the call out. I asked myself questions like: will anyone even apply? Will I have enough people apply? But nevertheless I believed in this vision despite all of these anxieties. As the weeks passed more and more Artists applied. And my idea started to take a life of it’s own. I couldn’t be more happier. Now it was the time for me to plan how many pieces of art I could fit in the space. I had plans fall through with some people who where going to help me set up. So I had to do it myself. That’s okay though. These things happen sometimes! I went down to the exhibition space with tape and a metre ruler and I started to measure out all the walls. It was exhausting but luckily a good friend came to help! Finally now I am ready for the event!
As the days past anxiety started to creep in again. I started to realise that I had to actually talk to a large crowd of people. I knew I had to make a speech and say something meaningful and something people could relate too.
I went to my local spiritual shop for guidance and tips. I ended up getting some crystals, using herbs and a candle to light a little spell to activate my voice and my throat chakra. After this the words started to flow from my fingertips. Every day before the show I stood in my bedroom practicing my speech aloud. Finally the day before event came.
I went to cafe momous and eagerly waited for Artists to arrive, as the time past Artists started coming to hand in their work. Some I knew, some I didn’t I could finally put a face to the art I seen. It made so much sense when I saw the Artists with their paintings. I couldn’t stop thinking “how amazing is it we all have a different way of expressing our feelings through art”. It’s insane for me to think about. Everyone is so beautiful, their experiences, environments and imaginations all create something so authentic and different from another. But also at the same time they create something we can relate too, feel and something that can bring us all together. What a juxtaposition!
The opening night came. Me, my girlfriend & a friend where exhausted from putting nails in walls all day. Unfortunately we decided to leave the biggest painting until last as we where finding it hard to put up art in the thin plastered walls. Word of advice and lesson learned. Never leave the hardest one until last. We had 45 minutes until show opened panicking. Always do it first lol. But with a few more helping hands and gods grace we managed to get it up!
6 O’ Clock hits. Some people start to pop their heads into the exhibition. More people start to come in. Before I know it again the show has taken a life of it’s own and my nerves are so high. I’m trying engage with people, start conversations and make people feel at home. It’s so hard to start conversations when I’m an introvert. But I am so happy with the show and I feel so blessed. After a few hours an Artist informs me she is leaving now and won’t be able to stay for the awards. I ask her Name again “Emily Roach Osbourne”. I remember she is one of the photography winners! I bring her a trophy I made from clay and say congratulations to her. She looks at me shocked and says thankyou. I don’t ever want to seem like I’m tooting my own horn but in that moment I really understood that I’ve done and did what I always wanted to do. Give people hope and help people be seen. I was so happy she was happy! It was an emotional moment!
After playing many Sade songs on my speaker and making good conversations with the people there, the time for the announcements had begun. I was so nervous. I was physically shaking. I had never ever made a speech to this size of a crowd before. So much pressure. I had to hold myself together and I kept talking to myself out loud saying; ‘you belong here. you can do anything.’ just repeating and repeating.
Finally I picked up the microphone and spoke. I spoke and then I had to take a moment to breathe as I had never done anything like this before. All these eyes on me, all expecting something out of me. But I did it. It was a big step for my own spiritual evolution. I now walk into rooms and sit with groups of people and i’m less afraid to be seen and heard.
I started to call all the winners up, handing them their awards & giving them an opportunity to speak if they wanted too. It was a great night full of amazing vibes. People where making connections and starting conversations. It felt like many people from all different worlds and ways of life came together in one room creating the multiverse lol. All together for, love, unity and art.
In conclusion to this event/life experience I will say it was very stressful at times. I couldn’t find a venue for a while, the task of setting all of this up seemed so daunting. How was I a 23 year old artist from a council estate with chronic fatigue supposed to pull this off. The answer is; I didn’t let my own mind limit me. I understand energy and frequencies and I know whatever I choose to believe creates my reality. I chose to believe there was a venue out there for me not just believe I knew it. I knew my idea was there for a reason. It already existed. I chose to tell myself I can learn photoshop in a few months, I can create application forms, I spoke out loud to myself in the mornings saying “ I am attracting the right people for this show” I knew I could do anything I put my mind too. I did my best to balance my life. I tried to still do things that relaxed me and I still tried to live a little. In the future I will look for more ways to collaborate with others to take the stress off of things and to create more of a team for the next award show! So if you’re interested please email me. e.g sponsors, social media, helper for putting nails in walls lol or anyone with ideas how to make this bigger and more improved! Please just remember you’re ideas are possible, you never know who you will encounter and you can make it happen.
Here a is a review from one of the artists that won an Award. Scott Huitson:
It was a pleasure and humbling experience to have been a part of the Anahata Art Exhibition, having a painting and photograph selected for public display. It was a lovely evening when we all came together to share our joy and appreciation for local artists and to encourage all to experience the Plymouth art scene, which Anja made more visible with her focus and hard work. Personally, I gained so much from the exhibition and I certainly will be entering again in the future. The works were of a very high standard and were eclectic and many made me feel inspired. Plymouth is sound!