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Italian artist Giovanna Fezzi has won the prestigious Lexmark European Art Prize - the only pan-European art prize dedicated to painting – at an international ceremony held at the famous Triennale in Milan.

Giovanna, 34, from Prato, was chosen as the winner of the 30,000 Euro prize for her dramatic painting entitled ‘Lamb Chops’, by an eight-strong judging panel of respected figures from the European art world, including Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy.

The painting is built on a series of striking, colourful abstract forms representing animals. Of her work, Giovanna says, "The main themes of my painting are lambs, knives and slaughter. The work tells an ambiguous story, inspired by the menu of a London Pub or by the other "lambs", knives and slaughter shown on television. As with all my paintings, this work is ambiguous, like life today – reflecting both the pleasure and the tragedy of an ordinary day.”

From Runner-up to Star Success
Giovanna’s win follows her success as a finalist in last year’s Lexmark European Art Prize with her painting ‘Negri Medidi’. The other runners-up in this year’s prize included artists from Poland, Russia, France, Germany, Italy and the UK and may be names to watch in 2005 following Giovanna’s repeat success.

“The Lexmark European Art Prize is of particular importance to the cultural system not only as a further instrument to promote emerging artists but also as an example of exchange between the business world and the world of contemporary art,” comments Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy.

“In an age where the use of video, photography and innovative media are common in art, painting still remains extremely contemporary and the idea of concentrating on this particular medium, represents a reflection on the dialogue between technology and tradition and how they influence one another.”   

From 4,000 entries to one winner
With a record 4,000 entries submitted to this year’s prize – double the number received in 2003 – from 32 countries across Europe, the judging panel faced a series of tough decisions to select the 32 paintings to go forward on the European Shortlist and from this the 10 finalists and the overall winner. 
“We are delighted with the quality and number of entries we have received for this year’s Lexmark European Art Prize and thrilled the prize is continuing to grow, attracting entries from talented young artists across Europe,” says Antonello Cardone, Lexmark Vice President Consumer Printer Division & General Manager Europe.

“Giovanna’s and the other finalists’ paintings have really set a benchmark for the prize, and we’re already excited to see what 2005’s entries bring.” 

About the Lexmark European Art Prize
The Lexmark European Art Prize, launched in 2003, is the first ever annual, pan-European painting prize. The competition extends Lexmark’s significant investment in the arts which has included the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the French Réunion des Musées Nationaux and Lexmark’s Art Education Programme which introduced fine art to over 600 schools in the US.

The Judging Panel      
• Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy
• Pat Andrea, Professor of painting at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Beaux-Arts in Paris and correspondent at the Academie of Fine Arts of Institut de France
• Professor Burkhard Held, Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
• Zbigniew Turlej, Fundacja Turlej, Poland
• Lorena Martinez, Art Critic and Independent Curator, Barcelona, Spain
• Meredith Etherington-Smith, Chairman of ArtFortnight London, UK
• Christian Ward, Artist and winner of the 2003 Lexmark European Art Prize
• Antonello Cardone, Lexmark Vice President Consumer Printer Division & General Manager Europe

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