Arts Contribution of the Year: Monika Drabot

ARTIST Monika Drabot who is described as ‘dedicated, hard-working and invaluable’ has been nominated for the Arts Contribution of the Year award, sponsored by Moonpig.

‘She is not only a very gifted artist in her own right – who has exhibited in many exhibitions – but she has, as part of the Guernsey Arts team, curated many other artists’ work too’, said the nominator, who wished to remain anonymous.

‘Also during the lockdowns she created a number of 3D virtual exhibitions that couldn’t be held physically.’

Monika, 27, is a Polish artist, now a UK citizen, who has been living in Guernsey for the past 15 years.

Monika’s artwork focuses on observation of life.

Her photographs have been exhibited in several galleries in Guernsey as well as the Brick Lane Gallery in London.

She won the Source Magazine Graduate Photobook Award in 2017 after graduating from Arts University Bournemouth with a first class honours degree in photography.

She has worked with Guernsey Arts as a curator for their exhibitions in the George Crossan Gallery and the Greenhouse Gallery. She is currently working on a student exhibition at the George Crossan Gallery in Market Square.

As part of the Guernsey Arts Open 2020, Monika supported the artists involved.

‘It was really good. I supported the artists by having a conversation with them and encouraging them to feel like they were contributing to the community as an artist’, she said.

‘It really is a team effort.’