Della receives her 'Draw Our Heroes' prize

Della Cowper-Gray and her winning portrait of Aideen Delahunt.

Young Kilcullen artist Della Cowper-Gray has been presented with her first prize in the 13-15 category of the 'Draw Our Heroes' art competition, writes Brian Byrne.

There were over 1,600 entries for the competition, launched last year to have children memorialise the everyday heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic. The winners were announced during the summer, and prizes recently presented by Joe Duffy, who was on the judging panel.

Della chose Aideen Delahunt, the carer who came to her house during the first lockdown to care for her 91-year-old Grand-Uncle Amby. "She put herself at risk but always remained cheerful and greeted us all with her uplifting smile before putting on her mask," Della said.

Della also won a Merit Award in the Texaco Children's Art Competition last year with a portrait of her brother Finn and she also has a coloured pencil and pastels portrait on this year’s shortlist for the Young Zurich Prize in the National Gallery, ‘Painting in a different world now (My father The Artist)’, illustrating how artists' impressions of the world around them have changed in the pandemic. Along with the works of 19 other young artists, that will be on display in the National Gallery from 13 November 2021 to 3 April 2022.

Della's 12-year-old sister Mae is also an accomplished artist, and her portrait of her best friend, Ella Browne, with the title ‘Missing Ella (Loneliness during Lockdown)’, won her a national category first prize in the 2021 Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

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