A SELF portrait of a mother and her young child has won the first Warrington contemporary arts festival’s Open Exhibition since the pandemic.

Lāsma Poiša, 38, a Latvian-British mother to nine-month-old Esme, won first prize with her above photo. The photo is a self-portrait, taken with the aid of Esme’s father, a regular collaborator of Lāsma.

The piece was presented as a ‘bold exploration of becoming a mother’, and was described by judges as “powerful, honest, and confronting.”

The competition was open to anyone within 60 miles of Warrington, with Lāsma living in Todmorden.

She said on the piece that, following her becoming a mother, “I continued photographing as it helped me to make sense of the world around me, but I did not imagine that my personal reflections would have such an impact.

"This subject is often over-romanticised in visual culture whilst many motherhood realities remain hidden. I am honoured that I will have the opportunity to represent mothers and motherhood and perhaps bring to light some of the themes that are unseen.”

The piece is available to view at the Warrington Museum and Art Gallery until February of next year.

In the ‘Emerging Artist’ competition, Manchester resident Isaac Jordan won the award. Isaac is a painter, whose work focuses on creating small scale paintings in one sitting, featuring tiny figures captured in a moment in time.

Isaac said on the award: “I’m honoured to receive the Emerging Artist award and be part of a really great show alongside artists from the North West”

“I’m honoured to receive the Emerging Artist award and be part of a really great show alongside artists from the North West”

Isaac’s practice revolves around creating small scale paintings in one sitting – featuring tiny figures captured in a moment in time.