London based artist Reuben Murray has won the first ever Cass Art Prize 2024, a new annual award created by leading art supply retailer Cass Art, continuing the Cass family’s legacy of supporting artists for over 120 years.
The awards were presented by Cass Art Founder Mark Cass at a prize giving ceremony at Copeland Gallery in Peckham.
Murray won The Main Prize, being awarded a £10,000 cash prize and a stand at Saatchi Art’s The Other Art Fair 2025. Inspired by Ben Enwonwu’s African Mona Lisa, Murray’s winning piece Ada proudly portraits Ada, an extraordinary Jamaican Maroon with a Nigerian Yoruba name. Telling the story of African slaves who freed themselves to establish communities of free black people in Jamaica, the moving portrait symbolises strength, struggle and heritage,
Other prizes were awarded to artists including Morag Caister, Lexia Hachtmann, Terence Wilde, KV Duong and Richard Elliot.
The Cass Art Prize took place on what would have been Wilfred Cass’s 100th birthday and is generously supported by Wilfred’s estate. This family tradition of entrepreneurship and close relationships with the art world continued through the generations as Wilfred Cass, Mark’s father, later ran Reeves, the world’s oldest paint manufacturer. In addition, Wilfred launched the Cass Sculpture Foundation, a British charity that commissioned more than 450 sculptures from emerging artists over 25 years as well as enabling the first three commissions on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
Mark Cass, CEO & Founder of Cass Art said, “I would like to thank all our Artists, Judges & Partners for their support bringing this wonderful exhibition to life. I hope visitors have enjoyed what we hope to be the first of many years of this special event, and hopefully be inspired to take part in The Cass Art Prize in the future. The Cass Art Prize is generously supported by my father’s Estate, and its inaugural exhibition marks what would have been his 100th birthday. 2024 is also a very special year for us, as we celebrate 40 Years since I first started Cass Art, so it seems fitting to take this opportunity to bring together & celebrate just some of the amazing artistic talent we have across the UK & Ireland.”
- Paul Whatley