AN exclusive awards ceremony last week saw Goodwick artist Rachel Busby announced as the recipient of the prestigious Exeter Contemporary Open 2013 and £1,000 in cash.

Now in its eighth year, the competition has become one of the highlights of the arts calendar and it considered an important national platform for contemporary visual artists.

Rachel told the Western Telegraph: “I was delighted to be selected for the Exeter Contemporary Open but I was shocked and very surprised to actually win the first prize.

It is really great to be accredited by the curators of this important competition, especially since the work that I am now doing is very personal and very much based on my experiences of growing up and living in Pembrokeshire.”

The Open’s judges all spoke about the difficulty of this year’s decision due to the incredibly high standard of work. Lucy Day explained: “One of the things about such a diverse range of practice is that it makes judging nigh on impossible. We did some serious debate, discussion and arguing. All positive because we simply couldn’t choose between a group of people, all of who we would have loved to give the award.”

Winning the prize was an emotional moment for Rachel who returned to Wales after working in London. She said: “I didn’t have feedback. I felt very isolated but it meant the work was very honest. I didn’t know what to expect, what people would make of it.”

Her entry comprised two paintings that present interiors looking out into long dark stormy winter months.

“Going back to Wales I thought that a lot of my work would be landscapes but it ended up as a lot of interiors. And I think that’s because a lot of time growing up was spent indoors. I wanted to be honest and show that. Not that the work was just about me, but for others who share that experience.”