The first year after graduation is often the hardest for artists. Studio access disappears, deadlines vanish, and the structure that sustained a creative practice gives way to questions about rent, visibility, and direction. It is precisely at this point that structured support matters most — and two Southampton Solent University graduates have just received a significant measure of it.
Kai Grizzle, who studied photography, and Sian Chungh, a fine artist who exhibits under the name Chhainguns, have been shortlisted for the Platform Graduate Award 2026, a scheme celebrating emerging artistic talent from across the South of England. Selected from nominations representing 11 universities, both artists will now exhibit their work publicly at Aspex Portsmouth as part of the shortlisted exhibition “The Shape of a Spell.” For two emerging artists in the crucial first months after graduation, the recognition carries both practical and professional weight.
If you are weighing up where to study art and design, exploring Solent University’s art courses is a useful starting point — and booking a campus tour remains one of the most reliable ways to judge whether a studio environment fits the way you work.
How the Platform Graduate Award 2026 Supports Emerging Artists in the UK
The Platform Graduate Award, organised by Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East (CVAN South East), is marking its fifteenth year in 2026. The scheme showcases 26 emerging artists across three locations, with work displayed in a season of exhibitions at Aspex Portsmouth, Modern Art Oxford, and MIRROR at Arts University Plymouth. Many of the selected graduates will reach a wide public audience for the first time through these shows.
Three final awardees — one from each venue — will be announced in October 2026. Each will receive a £500 bursary alongside six months of professional mentoring, a combination designed to address the practical pressures that follow art school.
Oliver Sumner, Manager of CVAN South East, noted that while the world facing this year’s graduates differs sharply from that of the first cohort in 2012, their professional support needs have remained fundamentally consistent: covering living costs, building networks, establishing a profile, and finding affordable workspace. His comments underline why awards of this kind continue to attract attention across the UK arts sector — they respond to needs that galleries and funding bodies frequently overlook in the years immediately after study.
Solent University Graduates Exhibit in “The Shape of a Spell”
Both shortlisted graduates will show their work at Aspex Portsmouth, one of the south coast’s leading contemporary art venues, from 18 September to 15 November 2026. The exhibition’s title frames the show as an invitation to step into an artist’s reality and spend time with what sits in front of the viewer — a theme both Solent University graduates engage with directly in their work.
Kai Grizzle: Photography and the Eeriness of Places Left Behind
Kai Grizzle’s shortlisted piece, “The Lone Dandelion,” belongs to a wider photographic series titled Kenopsia — a word coined by author John Koenig to describe the eeriness of places left behind. The work examines absence and atmosphere, asking viewers to sit with the quiet discomfort of emptied spaces.
Speaking about the exhibition theme, Kai described it as being about “stepping into a new reality and somewhat distracting yourself and being immersed in this artist space,” encouraging audiences to take their time reviewing what they see.
Kai, who is Autistic, also spoke candidly about what the award’s bursary and mentoring would mean for their practice: confidence and reassurance, the ability to keep funding photography projects and upgrade equipment when required, and — perhaps most importantly — guidance from a mentor while adjusting to life as a graduate artist in an unfamiliar professional landscape.
Chhainguns: Fine Art Rooted in Identity and Heritage
Sian Chungh, who works and exhibits under the artist name Chhainguns, was shortlisted with a piece that carries a strong personal connection to her identity and heritage. Reflecting on the recognition, she described the shortlisting as an honour, particularly given the strength of the wider cohort, and expressed pride at being selected alongside the work she considers most entangled with her culture.
Chhainguns also emphasised the value of exhibiting publicly so soon after graduating, calling it a privilege. Because the piece is so closely tied to culture, she hopes it moves viewers to reflect on their own identities — and on the possibility of turning negative experiences into positives.
On the prospect of mentorship, her assessment was direct: the opportunity would be life changing and a major step in her artistic career, offering validation at a moment when artists pursuing their passion often second-guess the decision.
What the Platform Graduate Award Reveals About Early Creative Careers
The experiences of both artists point to a broader truth about creative careers in the UK: talent alone rarely determines early success. Access to exhibition space, mentors, and modest financial support often does more to sustain a practice than raw ability. The Platform Graduate Award addresses each of these needs within a single scheme, which explains why it has endured for fifteen years.
For emerging artists, the award’s structure also offers a useful map of what to seek out after graduation — regardless of whether a nomination arrives.
Practical Advice for Emerging Artists After Graduation
Only a small number of graduates are shortlisted for awards each year, but the habits that lead to selection are available to everyone. Based on the experiences of Grizzle and Chhainguns, and on what CVAN South East identifies as consistent graduate needs, several practices stand out:
- Keep producing and documenting work. Both shortlisted pieces came from coherent bodies of work — Kai’s Kenopsia series and Chhainguns’ identity-focused practice — rather than isolated final projects. A connected portfolio is easier to submit to open calls and easier for selectors to understand.
- Apply for open calls and awards early. Schemes such as the Platform Graduate Award rely on university nominations, but regional open calls, group exhibitions, and prizes follow the same principle: visibility compounds. One exhibition leads to introductions; introductions lead to the next opportunity.
- Be specific about what support would change your practice. Kai identified equipment and project funding; Chhainguns identified validation and mentorship. Being able to articulate what you need makes you more credible when bursaries, mentors, and venues assess applications.
- Use your university network before it closes. Nominations for awards like this come through institutions. Tutors, technicians, and careers teams remain useful contacts in the months after graduation — maintain those relationships.
- Treat exhibition opportunities as learning experiences. Both graduates framed public exhibition as a privilege and a chance to reach audiences, not simply as a line on a CV. That orientation tends to produce better conversations with curators and viewers alike.
Are you an artist navigating the period after graduation? Share your experiences in the comments below — the realities of the first year out of art school are rarely discussed openly, and your account could help someone else.
Why Southampton Is a Strong Base for Emerging Artists
Solent University’s presence on the Platform Graduate Award shortlist reflects a wider picture of the south coast as a workable environment for early-career creatives. Southampton offers comparatively affordable studio and living costs relative to London, an active cultural scene, and proximity to established venues such as Aspex Portsmouth alongside the city’s own galleries and festivals.
For prospective students, the shortlisting also demonstrates what art education in the UK can achieve when courses connect studio practice to the professional world. Graduates who leave with a defined body of work, exhibition experience, and an understanding of funding and mentoring structures enter the sector on far firmer footing. Solent University’s art and design provision, with its emphasis on industry links and practical facilities, is built around that principle.
Have questions about studying art and design in Southampton? Write to us — or explore our related articles on creative careers for further reading.
Key Dates and What Happens Next
The shortlisted exhibition “The Shape of a Spell” runs at Aspex Portsmouth from 18 September to 15 November 2026, with Kai Grizzle’s photography and Chhainguns’ fine art work on show alongside other selected graduates. Winners of the Platform Graduate Award 2026 will be announced in October, with one awardee from each of the three partner venues receiving a £500 bursary and six months of mentoring.
Whatever the October outcome, both Solent University graduates have already secured something valuable: a public exhibition, a regional profile, and a place within a network of venues and organisations that support emerging artists across the South of England.
For anyone considering a similar path, the message from this year’s shortlist is consistent. Build a coherent body of work, stay connected to your institution, apply for structured opportunities, and be honest about the support you need. Awards like the Platform Graduate Award reward artists who treat the first year after graduation as a professional phase — not a pause.
Ready to take the next step in your creative education? Submit your application today or schedule a campus visit to see Solent University’s studios and facilities first-hand.
