Raju Baraiya selected as the ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ 2019 to represent India at the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme

Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme is a one-of-its-kind art residency that inspires emerging artists across the globe to experiment and innovate with art in an unusual setting- the home of Glenfiddich. Known for its passion for innovation and curating distinct experiences, Glenfiddich encourages the spirit of reinvention and the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme is a testimony to this. Instituted in India, in collaboration with Bestcollegeart.com, the recipient of the 8th edition of the ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ award, Vadodara based artist Raju Baraiya has been awarded a three-month art residency at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. The much-awaited announcement was made on March 30th at the Bestcollegeart.com Gallery over a showcase of the top 5 finalists works.

Raju is currently pursuing hid post diploma in painting from Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Vadodara, Gujarat. He was awarded the Prafulla Dahanukar- the Gujarat State award Maharashtra, ABIR art "First Take" Award, Nasereen Mohammadi Best display award and many others.

The selection was made by an esteemed jury panel comprising of leading personalities from the field of art including artists, gallerists, art critics and collectors, namely- Kiran Nadar (Chairperson, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art), V Sunil (Co-founder, Motherland JV), Sunil Sethi, (President, FDCI), Andy Fairgrieve (Curator, Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme), Bhavna Kakkar (Gallerist, Latitude 28), Nitin Bhayana, (Art collector), Swapan Seth (Equus Advertising), Veer Munshi (Artist), Jagannath Panda (Artist), Kapil Chopra (Mentor and Curator, bestcollegeart), Manoj Adlakha (CEO, American Express India) and Sachin Mehta (Country Manager India, William Grant & Sons). The jury members went through 6000 plus entries before hand-picking the five finalists and the India winner. The shortlisted five included Raju Baraiya, Megha Madan, Addepalli Tirupathi Rao, Kapil Jangid and Rushabh Vishwarma.

Thrilled at his win, Raju Baraiya said, “I feel honored that my art was recongnised from amongst the other brilliant artists that participated in the prestigious competition on Bestcollegeart.com, the largest marketplace for young contemporary Indian artists. Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme is one of the most coveted art residencies and I am looking forward to my impending 3-month journey where I will get a chance to interact with artists from across the world and create refreshing masterpieces.”

The Emerging Artist of the Year Award was initiated by Bestcollegeart.com and is a part of Glenfiddich’s 18-year-old Artists in Residence programme, where the selected artists from different countries get to spend three months at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland. In addition to this, Raju Baraiya will be awarded INR 10 lakh, which includes an international allowance of INR 120,000 per month and a work allowance of INR 500,000. He will also be awarded a solo show at Art District XIII Gallery in New Delhi.

Payal Nijhawan, Head of Marketing, William Grant & Sons India said, “Since inception, Glenfiddich has always been a patron of emerging art across the world. Carrying forward our spirit of experimentation and reinvention, Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme helps in recognizing and encouraging emerging contemporary artists in India. The programme captures the innovative spirit of the brand to relentlessly push boundaries and experiment with new ideas in a setting befitting to this spirit- the Glenfiddich distillery.”

The global coordinator and organizer of Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme, Andy Fairgrieve, personally handed over the award to India’s emerging artist. Commenting on the programme, he said, “The Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme has hosted more than 152 artists from 20 countries in the summer residency including 7 Indians. We are delighted to offer a unique and inspired platform for Indian artists and are overwhelmed at the quality of entries we have received this year. We look forward to introducing the enormously talented artist- Raju Baraiya to the global platform to refresh and reinvent his talent.”

Kapil Chopra, Mentor, Bestcollegeart.com said , “The aim for Bestcollegeart.com has always been to promote young Indian contemporary artists to have a global voice and Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme is a key part to that vision. Over the years, the art residency has grown to be recognized as one of the most respected in India and has been an important initiative for the growth of Indian contemporary art for the last eight years. The award not only seeks out the next generation of artists but also nurtures, supports and encourages emerging talent to experiment with their art.”

Glenfiddich Artists in Residence doesn’t set any parameters on what our artists can produce. Each year, a number of artists from around the world are selected to take up a residency at the distillery and invited to take inspiration from their surroundings to produce new work. It has become widely acclaimed in the art world for providing artists with an original setting, space and community in which to work.