Warrington & Vale Royal College Celebrates Local Artistic Talent at Young Artist of the Year 2026
Warrington and Vale Royal College is proud to celebrate another successful year of its Young Artist of the Year competition, which showcases the incredible creativity of local young people across the Cheshire region.
Laura Perez Higuera, a Sandymoor Ormiston Academy pupil and this year’s Young Creative Artist, impressed judges with a striking large‑scale piece described as brave and visually impactful. Using acrylic paint, she created an image of a child surrounded by expressive and vibrant drawings. In her artist statement, she described:
“Here, I painted a picture in acrylic on canvas to reflect how the world once felt so vibrant and full of possibility, yet how with age, that brightness often fades as we lose touch with our imagination. I added childlike drawings throughout the piece to embrace imperfection and reconnect with the uninhibited creativity we naturally had when we were young.”
Katrina Lam, a pupil from Sir Thomas Boteler C of E High School, won the Student Favourite Award following an incredibly close contest in which Warrington and Vale Royal College Level 2 and Level 3 Art and Design students anonymously voted for their favourite piece. Katrina used a diptych format to create a dramatic composition that captured the attention of fellow students. Her artist statement explained:
“This diptych shows tension through separation and connection. When the canvases are apart, the boat appears calm under the sunset and distant clouds. Once combined, the composition becomes more dramatic as the wave moves closer, creating a stronger sense of danger and movement. The contrast between the warm light and the turbulent sea emphasises the fragile moment before impact, increasing the visual tension immediately.”
