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A painting of a person wearing a hat and a colourful blue and green jacket, sitting on an orange ledge. In the pink background, two dark silhouettes of people ride horses. The words “It’s” and “OKAY” appear in the bottom corners, each accompanied by a small red star.

Ed Burkes, a fine art graduate winning prize after prize

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Date
8 November 2016

Since graduating from Falmouth’s fine art course earlier this year the paintings of Ed Burkes have won prize after prize. With his autumnal tones of rich textures and altered subject matter, we can see exactly why.

Exhibiting at The Other Fair as part of the Saatchi gallery’s Invest in Art programme, Ed’s work was chosen by chief curator Rebecca Wilson as one of 20 emerging artists to buy now. With backing from one of the most prestigious art galleries in the world, Ed has since been shortlisted as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries, the Falmouth School of Art Purchase Prize and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Travel to Italy award.

Ed’s paintings are fine art that elevate the everyday, with work inspired by the spark “from a commonplace drawing or situation: A friend drinking coffee, a buddy pulling up his socks, a pretty girl in the fruit and veg section of Tesco Express".

“Through the process of painting these,” Ed says, "preliminary considerations begin to wobble out of a sync to a point where their distinctiveness as a primary source slips away.”

A painting of a figure standing with hands on hips against a backdrop of vertical brown and white stripes. They wear a green top with a white bird illustration, dark trousers, and bright red boots.
Above

Ed Burkes: It’s okay I’m in charge

A painting with a bright red background featuring several fragmented figures and objects. Two figures appear at the top, with the words “this” and “is” written inside stars in the upper corners.
Above

Ed Burkes: In their own special colours

A painting featuring bold, abstract blocks of red, blue, green and pink. A figure’s legs and feet are visible in the centre, standing on a deep red ground. Hand-painted text at the bottom reads “the fat is hiding” and “it looks so good”.
Above

Ed Burkes: It looks so good

An abstract painting on a light blue background featuring a large, green organic shape and a floating hand. Two stylised horses appear in the top corners, while red and green forms scatter across the composition. Handwritten text at the bottom reads “written in my”.
Above

Ed Burkes: Waited in my Garden

A painting of a figure seen from behind, rendered in bold, expressive brushstrokes. They wear orange trousers and a white top with green and yellow patterns, set against a vibrant green background.
Above

Ed Burkes: Dancing standing still

A painting of a jockey wearing a red and yellow jacket and a striped cap. They stand in front of a green background with a pale yellow horse behind them.
Above

Ed Burkes: Dancing standing still

A painting of a figure dressed in bright red clothing and a red head covering. They stand in a pale, abstract space, holding a small bunch of flowers. Hand-painted text at the bottom reads “but shimmers and tells you its cool”.
Above

Ed Burkes: A headlight looks into the dark, but shimmers and tells You its cool

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

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Lucy (she/her) was part of the It’s Nice That team from 2016–2025, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication, eventually becoming a senior editor on our editorial team, and most recently at Insights, a research-driven department with It’s Nice That.

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