Jill Tritschler (18), from Greystones, won the prestigious prize for her work titled Minerva, a portrait in oil on canvas, which was revealed as the winning category portrait during a prize-giving ceremony at the gallery, on Tuesday, November 25, with the artist being awarded a personalised box of art materials alongside a cash prize of €250.
The AIB Young Portrait Prize is an inclusive art competition open to children and young people of all abilities, up to the age of 18, from across the island of Ireland. Jill joined Ruixin Chen (15), from Bray, as two Wicklow teenagers were selected in August from the hundreds of entries and were among 46 young artists from 21 counties to make the final cut for the prize. Ruixin Chen was shortlisted for her work, titled Climbing Through.
Speaking about her winning work, Jill said: “The portrait references Manet’s Olympia and Titian’s Venus of Urbino. Both artworks reflect their societies’ views of women at the time. My intention with this piece is to represent the modern woman. It is titled Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom, as a contrast to Venus, who symbolizes fertility and desire.”
The judges for this year’s prize were arts leader Cian O’Brien, Neil-Jack Alphonsus Hamilton (artist), and Alice Rekab (artist).
The prize-winning ‘Minerva’ by Jill Tritschler.
Commenting on their selection, the judging panel said: “It was a joy to judge the 2025 AIB Young Portrait Prize. The young artists showed such imagination and confidence, and each piece had its own story to tell. It was wonderful to see so much curiosity and creativity on display, and we would like to thank everyone who entered, and congratulate all the shortlisted artists and winners. They should be very proud of what they’ve created.”
Jill’s success for Wicklow follows the win last year for Allanah McDonald Brown, a young artist from Arklow, who was announced as the winner in the category for ages six and under for her portrait Allanah the Mermaid, a mixed-media work.
The AIB Young Portrait Prize is in its seventh year and showcases the artistic talent of young people aged 18 and under. The AIB Portrait Prize exhibition, featuring 26 shortlisted works in total, is now open at the National Gallery of Ireland. It will run until March 15, 2026 alongside the AIB Young Portrait Prize exhibition of 20 shortlisted portraits.