Antonia Beard Friend Year 2024 Medium Pencil on paper Dimensions 29.7 x 21 cm Nominated by Rana Begum About the work The party stickman, commonly known as Friend was born in 2011 and marked the start of a lifelong ambition to live like I dance. After twelve years of training in the school that is life, this debutant is ready for public appearance. Until now Friend has made special appearances in notebooks and birthday cards as a declaration of love. Friend is the rhythm and perspective running throughout my practice. The nods and notes gleaned from the causal daily encounters that lift the spirit, elevating the heart and mind in moments of pure joy and affection. Date and country of birth 1991, GB Career Highlights My work is about relationships between people, space, time and material. Since 2017 I have created site-specific projects and have been annually commissioned by Houghton Festival at Houghton Hall in Norfolk. Highlights include: a group exhibition at Groundwork Gallery, Norfolk (2019); Tombolo, Lay of the Land residency and exhibition, West Cork, Ireland (2019); Manifesta 12, residency at Palazzo Palazzo Abatellis the Regional Gallery of Sicily, Italy (2018); commission and residency at Caserma Pepe with Biennale Urbana in collaboration with the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2018).