TPG New Talent (TNT) is a dedicated exhibition and mentoring programme identifying and supporting the most exciting and relevant UK-based emerging artists working within the photographic medium.

The TNT 21 artists are Heather Agyepong, Jessica Bernard, Ollie Gapper, Mariam Sholaja, RAKE Collective and Wing Ka Ho Jimmi.

They were  chosen from an open call by the Brazilian artist, Rosângela Rennó along with TPG Senior Curator, Karen McQuaid who were looking for approaches and work that they felt demonstrated a clear declaration of intent and were visually strong and coherent across concept, form and realisation.   While all of the six projects selected for TNT 21 are highly individual, they collectively share a sense of enquiry, social responsibility and sensitivity towards their subject matter that feels particularly resonant in 2021. 

In addition to an exhibition showcase, each of the artists is awarded a £1,500 bursary and paired with a creative mentor to support the development of their practice over a twelve-month period.  

Heather Agyepong

Heather Agyepong (b. UK) is a multi-disciplinary artist. Her practice links with themes of mental health, wellbeing, invisibility, the diaspora and the archive. She adopts a technique of re-imagination to engage with communities of interest and through performance creates a cathartic experience for herself and the viewer. 

Jessica Bernard

Jessica Bernard (b. 1987, UK) is interested in the line between art and documentary. Her work mines the real world in search of unsettling and uncomfortable situations to photograph. Her photographs can be seen as a physical manifestation of disorientation.

Ollie Gapper

Ollie Gapper (b. 1992, UK) has a keen interest in the contemporary photobook and its intimate connection with readership. His work explores the relationship of photography and writing with failure, fracturing, fragmentation and repetition. 

Mariam Sholaja

Mariam Sholaja (b. 1998, USA) creates photographic stories with subjects that are reflective of herself and the communities she is connected to. She often gathers inspiration from her Nigerian heritage and imbues her images with colourful, natural elements. Sholaja works across portraiture, fashion and editorial photography. 

RAKE Collective

RAKE Collective (founded 2019, UK), consisting of Nancy Hurman, Flora Thomas, Vera Zurbrügg and Nuno Guerreiro de Sousa, is a visual research collective using open source data to investigate a variety of unseen elements in society, business and politics. The themes explored in their collaborative work include human rights violations, government censorship, surveillance and bureaucratic violence.  

Wing Ka Ho Jimmi

Wing Ka Ho Jimmi (b. 1993, Hong Kong) utilises the classical genres of portrait and landscape to investigate geopolitics and the social environment between Hong Kong and the UK. His work concentrates on various identity crises and particularities associated with the socio-political situation in Hong Kong.