RWA Biennial Open: Paint

About this call

The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, United Kingdom, invites entries to its Biennial Open, themed Paint and inspired by its exhibition of recent works by Sir Frank Bowling. Paint must be the key medium or subject of the work, and entrants are invited to consider paint not only as a traditional medium but also as a process, visual language and subject; painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, film, textiles, installation and other disciplines are welcome when that condition is met. Entries are judged anonymously by a panel of guest experts with RWA Academicians, including Dea Vanagan of Hauser & Wirth Somerset and painter Martyn Cross. Results are announced on 2 December 2026, and the exhibition runs from 30 January to 2 May 2027.

Who can apply

• Open to applicants of any nationality
• Medium: Painting / Drawing / Printmaking / Sculpture / Video / Textile / Installation
• Entry fee: £22
• Open to anyone over 18; up to 3 works per artist. Paint must be the key medium or subject of the work. Entry fee per work: £22 regular, £16.50 for students (proof of enrolment required) and RWA Friends, £11.00 for RWA Artist Network members (applications to the network are currently closed); RWA Academicians enter free. No refunds once payment is submitted, including when the work is not accepted. Works must not have been exhibited at the RWA before; work from the last three years is encouraged. All works must be for sale (except moving image), with prices in GBP that account for the RWA's 35% + VAT commission. Sizes as exhibited, including frames and plinths: two-dimensional works up to 200 cm x 200 cm; three-dimensional works up to an 80 cm x 80 cm footprint and 50 kg, with installation instructions at submission; moving image up to 10 minutes, single screen, entered as a URL with a still. Digital art: the artist provides the display equipment. Not admissible: reproductions, unlimited editions, site-specific installations, frames or stretchers that cannot take mirror plates, works on paper left unframed for other than aesthetic reasons, works needing regular maintenance. Work made partly or entirely with AI must be declared as a medium. Up to five JPEG images per work (300 dpi, up to 50MB). Selected works must be delivered to the RWA in Bristol on the hand-in days, 8 to 10 January 2027, at the artist's own risk and with their own insurance; the RWA cannot accept direct international deliveries. Unsold work is collected on 15 to 17 May 2027; after that a late fee of £15 per work per week applies. Submissions are online through the RWA portal.