Young Art Oxford – portfolio
Contact the artist
http://www.youngartoxford.com/
07884 432765
youngartoxford@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/rafikithabo/
https://www.facebook.com/RafikiThabo/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rafiki-thabo-foundation/
https://www.youtube.com/@rafikithabofoundation739
janne@rafiki-foundation.org.uk
Exhibition information
Young Art Oxford Exhibition is a display paintings and drawings showcasing the creative talent of hundreds of Oxfordshire schoolchildren selected from thousands of amazing competition entries by our esteemed judges Korky Paul, Dr Sarah Nimblet, Jeremy Houghton and Rob Jones.
The theme this year is ‘Little Things That Matter’ and the schoolchildren have complete freedom to use their own imagination, initiative and inspiration to come up with their interpretation of the theme. It is always delightful and exciting to see the huge variety of illustrations!
The artwork is exhibited by age group and celebrates the budding young artists shortlisted in the competition. It is such a joy every year to welcome children and their families to The Ashmolean Museum to see their artwork exhibited, the pride and excitement is tangible!
The exhibition is an immense inspiration to all children, whether they have entered the competition or not, as it demonstrates the importance of taking time out to nurture creativity and ‘downtime’, a fantastic opportunity for children to be recognised and feel good about their artistic abilities!
To learn more about the competition and our judges visit our website.
Please note until mid April, the images on our portofolio page are from previous Young Art Oxford exhibitions at the Ashmolean. The 2026 artwork will be uploaded after Judges’ week has taken place in March, which is when the paintings and drawings are selected for this year’s exhibition.
Artist information
Young Art Oxford is an annual fundraising art exhibition open to all pupils of Oxfordshire schools from Reception to Year 9. It is a wonderful opportunity for young aspiring artists to have their work judged by well-known professionals and artists and to be exhibited.
The first Young Art Oxford exhibition was held in 2008, based upon the model set up in London in 1988 and has since then become a regular fixture on many schools’ yearly plans. Teachers and parents regularly comment on the tremendous boost to a child’s confidence that is gained as a result of being selected and seeing his or her art on the wall of a professional gallery.
Each year a theme is set and communicated to schools, and children submit their pictures after February half term. These are organised into four different age categories, and pictures are then selected to appear in an exhibition held over two days in May at the Ashmolean Museum.
We exhibit about 600 pictures and provided a school submits at least five pieces of art at least one will be displayed. Over the two days, thousands of visitors to the Ashmolean Museum admire the children’s artwork: the Ashmolean’s usual visitors as well as family and friends of the children whose art is being displayed. Several schools also arrange trips to the Museum to view the exhibited artworks. Entry to the exhibition is free.
We hold an informal prize giving ceremony on the Friday evening of the exhibition, where judges award prizes and say a few words about each of the winning pictures. This event is ticketed (entry, however, remains free) as we are limited to 400 people.
We are entirely run by volunteers, ensuring that all the money raised goes to our charity partner Rafiki Thabo Foundation and their work enabling access to education for disadvantaged children in Kenya, Uganda and Lesotho. By taking part in Young Art Oxford, the children can enjoy art and embrace their creativity and in doing so support their peers in Africa so that they too can access education, truly cementing the idea of ‘children helping children’.
Young Art Oxford
