It has become an established practice that the winner of the ING Purchase Prize, which was increased last year to the value of £5,000 and which is awarded at the annual ING/Discerning Eye Exhibition, has the opportunity to exhibit his or her works in a solo show at ING's London headquarters, in the heart of the City of London.

The 2006 prizewinner, Eric Rimmington, showed a selection of his beautiful still life paintings on the 5th Floor of ING's offices in June this year, in the spacious entrance foyer. The 5th Floor is where most of ING's meeting rooms are, so Eric's works could be enjoyed not only by the bank's staff, but also by numerous visitors.

Eric's winning painting, 'Knife Drawer', now forms part of the prestigious ING art collection - a collection which is reckoned to be one of the leading corporate collections in the UK.

It currently hangs alongside several of the past ING Purchase Prize works, including the 2003 winner, James Lloyd's 'Self Portrait', Graham Crowley's 'Irish Landscape III', prizewinner in 2004, and the 2005 winner Edmund Chamberlain with 'Brixton Street'.

When he won the prize last November, Eric thought that an office setting would allow any number of people to respond to the 'lonely and rather curious' drawer.

No doubt it provides just such an opportunity!

 

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