‘The Doctor Won’t See You Now’ wins Platform Graduate Award

The Platform Graduate Award is an initiative from the Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East (CVAN) to celebrate emerging artistic talent and provide vital support at a pivotal moment in the career of graduating artists.

Eloise’s work explores her relationship with sickness, using temporary materials like gelatine bioplastics and kombucha SCOPBYS, which are ‘symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast’, to reflect the body’s vulnerability when unwell.

‘The material allows viewers to witness the stages of sickness represented on an abstract mass of microbial flesh,’ – Eloise.

Eloise is one of four winners who were awarded prizes in each of the four exhibitions across the South: Aspex Portsmouth, Modern Art Oxford, Phoenix Art Space in Brighton, and MIRROR/Arts University Plymouth.

After being named winner of the Aspex Portsmouth exhibition, Eloise received a £500 bursary and six months of dedicated mentoring support from CVAN South East team of expert partners.

UCA fine art graduate, Stacey Allan, was also among the 30 shortlisted artists.

Her work showcases women’s stories and voices through sculpture, iconography, video art, and song to address the everyday silencing of women, creating her own temple of deities where the overlooked and unheard are honoured.

‘My work offers a magic alternative to how we approach, respond to, and protest the suppression of women’s voices’ – Stacey.

Stacey and Eloise’s work will be on display at Aspex Portsmouth from now until 30 November 2025. For more information, visit the gallery's website.

Or follow @eloisegleaveart @staceyallanart