2024 Panel
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Damian Alexander Dubel
Damian, the Founder of The Dube! Prize, is an entrepreneur known for his ventures such as Mr Red Fox Of London, Bella Mayford, Disrupt Events, and Disrupt Media. It is worth noting that his passion for football initially defined his early years. Damian's talent led him to join the renowned Tottenham Hotspur as a child, later transitioning to the youth system at Norwich City. Despite garnering interest from numerous clubs in London, Damian's dedication saw him also play for Oxford United, Barnet, and other teams. With a longstanding passion for the arts and events, Damian has ingeniously merged his interests to establish the Dube! Prize.
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Julian Usher
Julian is an experienced art dealer with several years of experience managing client portfolios. He is Sotheby's trained and is the CEO of Red Eight Gallery. "Our artists come from all corners of the globe, bringing unique perspectives and artistic visions to their work. We take pride in supporting talented individuals and giving them a platform to showcase their creations."
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Maeve Doyle
Maeve Doyle is an internationally renowned art critic and Artistic Director of Maddox Gallery. She is BBC radio's art correspondent and the host of 'A Private View with Maeve Doyle' on Soho Radio's Culture channel. Maeve studied in Vancouver, Canada, and was the owner of London Gallery, Doyle Devere. She was also at the helm of Mayfair's infamous Bankrobber Gallery, which was responsible for the sale of Banksy's murals, *Slave Labour* and *Girl with Balloon*.
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Will Teather
British artist Will Teather is known for creating contemporary images that reveal an adventurous imagination combined with a mastery of traditional skills. The artist's figurative paintings and drawings often depict curious characters caught up in uncanny situations. Influenced by magical-realism and lifting motifs from diverse sources such as Flemish still life, baroque art, and Weimar painters, the artist enters into conversation with the history of painting with the aim of bringing a present-day sensibility to the table.
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Dameon Sandu
Dameon holds 29 years of industry experience in hotel operations, sales, and marketing in the hospitality sector. Throughout this time, he has accumulated a wealth of industry knowledge working closely with country houses, boutique city centre hotels, as well as properties overseas. During this time, he has developed his niche skillset and has worked on the launch, opening, and sales development of new hotels for private owners both in the UK and internationally, having been directly involved with the launch of over 40 hotels in his career.
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Matthew Lord
Matthew is a passionate arts professional with extensive experience. He has worked with industry leaders including Phillips Auctioneers and White Cube, where he gained a deep understanding of the art market. Motivated by the endless potential for innovation in the art industry, Matthew is committed to creating positive change in the art world.
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Farzana Sarwar
Farzana has always been passionate about the arts, studying at the Academy of Art in London. With a background as a specialist art teacher spanning over two decades, she currently sources new artistic talent and organises their exhibitions in her gallery at OMNIDE. She actively encourages upcoming artists to share their unique expression and artistic energy in live workshops.
Farzana has a global perspective on art as a universal language that expresses the energies of the world community. With her longstanding background in education, diversity, and inclusion, she actively supports female artists and those from diverse backgrounds to exhibit their work.
She is also currently on a mission championing women's empowerment. This is through the development of a free global platform to promote a movement that empowers mothers by connecting them to companies to improve their work skills, education, and economic empowerment.
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Carsten Recksik
Having studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Recksik practiced as an artist and curated or co-curated exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, the German Embassy in London, Modern Art Oxford, and the European Commission London. He has also acted as project manager for various galleries, including Haus der Kunst in Munich and Hauser & Wirth London, overseeing the organisation of shows by Andreas Gursky, Ai Weiwei, Paul McCarthy, Ellsworth Kelly, and Pierre Huyghe.
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Okiem
OKIEM is a pianist and composer whose music is described as "cinematic classical." He creates his signature sound by combining piano, orchestral instruments, and synthesizers. He has toured on keyboards for many of the biggest artists in the music industry, from Leona Lewis to Tinie Tempah, and has opened for John Legend and Prince. Most recently, he toured with Grammy-nominated DJ/Producer Duke Dumont. Prior to that, he toured with and wrote songs for Russian sensation Sergey Lazarev, which involved relocating to Moscow for three years. This unique wealth of experience with top-class artists helps to shape his unique sound, compositions, and astounding live performances that continue to captivate his audiences.
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Richard Utting
Richard has been with Centrepoint for over 10 years and is responsible for producing many of the charity's fundraising galas, which have included performances from Taylor Swift, Jon Bon Jovi, and Duran Duran. He is currently raising funds and awareness for the organisation's £30m Independent Living Programme, which offers young people an apprenticeship/career and a home with the rent capped at a third of their salary. He enjoys painting and sculpture and is the songwriter of the band, Dexter Flew.