The solo exhibition by Threadneedle Prize 2014 winner Tina Jenkins opens at Mall Galleries on 30 March, exploring the theme of hysteria in a collection of striking new works. Last September Tina Jenkins was announced winner of The Threadneedle Prize 2014, one of the most prestigious art prizes in the UK awarded annually for figurative and representational art. Tina received £20,000 plus a solo exhibition at Mall Galleries.

The solo exhibition will include a number of her large ‘striking’ paintings, executed on plastic sheeting rather than canvas, and a collection of her smaller paintings done on top of pages from Bonham’s and Christie’s catalogues. Her works all explore the theme of Hysteria, and Jenkins describes her process of painting as a “hysterical act”, linking in with her PhD research into Painting and Hysteria.

She explains, “It is through a constant repositioning of myself within an already determined landscape that my paintings swing back and forth between the hysterical and the historical.

“I paint on plastic sheeting, I have been doing so for over a decade, when I stop to think about it; it’s a really dumb way of painting. I paint onto the plastic and then I cut, tear, pick, peel, scratch or wipe it off.

With the paintings I have made for the show I start by constructing some kind of image in a fairly traditional manner and then I set about picking it apart, back filling the holes as I go. The plastic is not designed to be painted on and is easily torn or marked, it comes with a lot of inconsistencies and a great big crease down the middle all of which is beautifully problematic. It’s difficult to stretch and a bastard to photograph because it reflects the light, but on the plus side its designed not to disintegrate in landfill or storage.”

Jenkins is no stranger to winning prizes. She was runner up in the Marmite Painting Prize in 2010, was awarded the Owen Ridley Prize at the University of Reading for a MFA project and is the recipient of a bursary from Reading University to research her PhD in 2014.

Threadneedle Prize Selection Panel member, Whitney Hintz said; “Tina Jenkins’ Bed Head was one of the first works we saw on judging day and, after viewing over 3,600 submissions, it was the first work that we returned to. Her bold approach to the human form and her clever use of material impressed the judges.”

Lewis McNaught, Director of Mall Galleries adds; “The striking nature of her imagery delivers an extraordinary visual impact and will make a strong impression on visitors to her solo exhibition”

Alison Jefferis, Chair of the Threadneedle Foundation said; “We are delighted to support Tina’s solo exhibition. The solo exhibition is an important component of the Threadneedle Prize award, added for the first time in 2014 following feedback from participating artists. It offers the winning artist an incredible opportunity to further develop their career, showcasing their work in central London.”