Irene Montemurro: Sir Denis Mahon Award 2020 Archive

May 7, 2020 – June 7, 2020

The Sir Denis Mahon prize of £10,000 is awarded to an outgoing Drawing Year student each year to enable them to continue their practice as an artist, and as part of this award they are also offered a solo show. This was due to open in late April 2020 but with the coronavirus pandemic preventing any physical exhibition in the School’s gallery, Irene decided to create an online exhibition hosted on a specially created website called A Swimming Pool For When We Run Out Of Water (the exhibition is now finished).


The below gallery acts as an archive for work produced during the year of The Sir Denis Mahon Award 2020 and you can find out more about Irene's experience in her blog post.


Irene Montemurro studied on the Royal Drawing School’s postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year in 2017-18. She is the recipient of the Sir Denis Mahon Award 2019-20.


  • Istruzioni per accendere la luce

    Istruzioni per accendere la luce

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Who burns if you touch this buddhist flame

    Who burns if you touch this buddhist flame

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite on cartridge paper | 16 x 10 cm
  • Happy birthday

    Happy birthday

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache and watercolour on sketchbook paper | 14.4 x 20 cm
  • How strange is a pair of eyes

    How strange is a pair of eyes

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Sketchbook page

    Sketchbook page

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on paper | 14.4 x 20 cm
  • Face palm

    Face palm

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on paper | 10.5 x 11 cm
  • After Jean Fouquet’s Madonna

    After Jean Fouquet’s Madonna

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite and gouache on cartridge paper | 6.5 x 7 cm
  • Still life with makeup and earring purse under the rain

    Still life with makeup and earring purse under the rain

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache and graphite on cartridge paper, | 20 x 12 cm
  • BRAVISSIMO

    BRAVISSIMO

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache and graphite on cartridge paper | 11.5 x 8 cm
  • Still life with short silver rizla

    Still life with short silver rizla

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on cartridge paper | 15 x 14 cm
  • The first time I have thought about quitting (update: I have quit)

    The first time I have thought about quitting (update: I have quit)

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite and watercolour on cartridge paper | 42 x 43 cm
  • Who burns if you touch (highlands dream)

    Who burns if you touch (highlands dream)

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on paper | 15 x 11 cm
  • Untitled

    Untitled

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite on cartridge paper | 15 x 9 cm
  • Athena’s voice

    Athena’s voice

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Snow White

    Snow White

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on cartridge paper | 18 x 14 cm
  • The Hare

    The Hare

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • After a polaroid by Andrei Tarkovsky

    After a polaroid by Andrei Tarkovsky

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Sweet Spot/ Il brufolo

    Sweet Spot/ Il brufolo

    Irene Montemurro
    Colour pencil on sketchbook paper | 21 x 30 cm
  • Babes of the woods

    Babes of the woods

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Heart

    Heart

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on cartridge paper | 7 x 10 cm
  • Like a remnant of a huge fire, like a small ember that burns if you touch it

    Like a remnant of a huge fire, like a small ember that burns if you touch it

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on cartridge paper | 15 x 13 cm
  • 22.01.20

    22.01.20

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite on sketchbook paper | 14.5 x 20 cm
  • The Volcano Lover

    The Volcano Lover

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on cartridge paper | 59.4 x 84.1 cm
  • The sneeze

    The sneeze

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Tesco Ploughman’s

    Tesco Ploughman’s

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on cartridge paper | 42 x 59.4 cm
  • The last three lemons

    The last three lemons

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Sleeping on the bathroom floor

    Sleeping on the bathroom floor

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on watercolour paper | 13.5 x 8.5 cm
  • For an orange

    For an orange

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Lighter remix

    Lighter remix

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on cartridge paper | 16 x 11 cm
  • Lonely as four cherries on a tree

    Lonely as four cherries on a tree

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache and watercolour on sketchbook paper | 14.4 x 20 cm
  • Premium quality olive pomace oil blend with spanish olives

    Premium quality olive pomace oil blend with spanish olives

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache and watercolour on cartridge paper | 15 x 18 cm
  • To ask for tenderness is a kind of crime

    To ask for tenderness is a kind of crime

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Untitled

    Untitled

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite on cartridge paper | 15 x 9 cm
  • E chinati

    E chinati

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • Ti prometto

    Ti prometto

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on sketchbook paper | 25 x 18 cm
  • 23/08/19

    23/08/19

    Irene Montemurro
    Graphite on sketchbook paper (torn) | 14.5 x 20 cm
  • Still life with long life milk

    Still life with long life milk

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on watercolour paper | 13.5 x 8.5 cm
  • Storia delle mie disgrazie

    Storia delle mie disgrazie

    Irene Montemurro
    Colour pencil on sketchbook paper | 21 x 30 cm
  • Sketchbook page - eye mural sketch

    Sketchbook page - eye mural sketch

    Irene Montemurro
    Gouache on paper | 21 x 30 cm
  • The moths are louder at night

    The moths are louder at night

    Irene Montemurro
    Gel ink on cartridge paper | 59.4 x 84.1 cm