Antoine Hunt has been named the overall winner of the 2022 Charman Prize against steep competition.

More than 120 artists submitted work for the tenth annual competition, organised by the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, with entrants asked to tackle the theme of “Bermuda, our island, in a changing world”.

Mr Hunt said: “I was genuinely surprised to win, and I still have no words to say.”

His winning piece, a mixed media piece that incorporates charcoal, oil and ink on a pair of canvases entitled Coming and Going, was described by judges as a “quiet scene stealer”.

The judges said: “Exquisitely painted, the work presents something old in a new and thoughtful way.

“A masterpiece of understatement, yet deep and richly layered, we see a symbol of Bermuda in a whole new light.”

Mr Hunt was awarded the $10,000 grand prize for the competition, while four other category winners were awarded $2,000 prizes.

Liana Nanang won the prize of best use of materials for her work We are the Return, crafted with ceramic on cedar, while Milton Raposo won the award for design and composition for his photograph Sea Change.

Gherdai Hassell won the award for distinct and convincing style for The Hive, an interactive instillation collage that incorporated paper and video, while Sabriyya Harvey won the prize for source of inspiration with her oil painting All The Lot.

Ms Harvey said she was shocked by the award but that it had helped to bolster her confidence to further pursue the arts.

She said: “As I enter my professional practice, the main goal is to produce paintings.

“Selling this first piece made me realise that there is in fact an audience for my work.

“I aim to create paintings that are in conversation with my audience and discovering that these efforts were affirmed has encouraged me to continue creating and given me the confidence to allow my art to fully speak for itself.”

Meanwhile, Phoebe Hughes took the People’s Choice Award for her oil painting Par-La-Ville Park.

Risa Hunter, executive director for Masterworks, said: “It is an honour to be part of this anchor exhibition in Bermuda, allowing us as viewers to reflect on our shared and individual experiences and connect with our island heritage, all by engaging in contemporary visual culture.

“After the past two years, after many challenges, art has more so than ever been a guidepost for artists to examine what it means to live a human existence, to express their unique voices and to bring ideas together.”