Crown Paints has announced the first artist to benefit from its recently launched partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).
Joseph Ijoyemi, an Afro-Swedish multi-disciplinary artist based in London, creates murals, paintings, and sculptures, that push the boundaries of what is possible in metal casting and wooden sculpture.
As part of the grant, Joseph is set to undergo one-to-one mentoring with renowned artist Gordon Ilet, whilst also gaining the opportunity to take part in a training course at the Artisan Foundry in Liverpool to further develop his skills.
The Crown-funded award is the first to be announced following the launch of the paint manufacturer’s partnership with QEST last year in honour of the Coronation of King Charles III.
The collaboration saw Crown commit to donate 10% of proceeds from sales of its Crafted™ range to QEST, to provide access to educational courses for those demonstrating extraordinary talent in their chosen trade.
Joseph Ijoyemi, QEST Crown Paints Emerging Maker, commented: “I’m incredibly grateful to be awarded a grant with QEST as part of Crown’s recent partnership.
“The opportunities I will get put me one step further on the road towards my goal of becoming a prominent maker, and a mentor to young artists, particularly within the black community. It’s so important that those from diverse backgrounds get equal opportunities to thrive within the sector, and this partnership is helping to make that happen.
Deborah Pocock LVO, Chief Executive Officer at QEST, added: “We are extremely proud to partner with Crown to help artists excel in their chosen craft, enabling them to advance their skills and become leaders in their profession.
“Joseph is incredibly talented, and we are thrilled to award him the first Crown Emerging Maker Grant.”
Katie McLean, Marketing Director UK & Ireland for Crown, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to support Joseph in his development as one of the country’s best creative talents.
“The announcement of the first Crown funded QEST artist marks a milestone in our wider commitment to education, one that enables us to support the current and future generations of talented craftspeople and to make a meaningful difference across the industry. We look forward to supporting more of Britain’s creative talents as the partnership develops.”
The announcement comes following the launch of Crown Paint’s ambitious new environmental and social strategy, Project Possible. It focuses on five key areas around sustainability, charity, community, education and people & culture, with a series of sustainability and people focused programmes across Crown’s operations, as well as even greater support for the wider industry and local communities.
Learn more about Joesph’s work here.
For more information on the partnership, please visit: https://crownpaints.co.uk/crown-qest-in-partnership/
To find out more about Project Possible, please visit: https://crownpaints.co.uk/about-us/
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