The 2025 winner of the Peak District Artisans (PDA) Young Emerging Artist Award has been chosen for a solo exhibition taking place 5th – 26th August 2026 at the new Hopton Hall Gallery in Ashbourne.
The Award aims to encourage and support a young emerging artist or maker aged 18–30 who is situated in or around the Peak District and who is at the start of their creative journey.
This year’s winner is Amadora, a self-taught painter who lives and works in Sheffield and who specialises in portraiture and urban paintings. Her bold style and use of vivid colours aim to bring uplifting energy into a space and have been featured in House & Garden and Exposed Sheffield magazines.
Hopton Hall Gallery Director Ruth Matthews said:
“We believed Amadora’s solo exhibition would be a great complement to our ‘Portrait & Human Form’ exhibition which showcases regional talent for the period 5th – 26th August 2026. Her work is so vibrant and youthful and is the perfect juxtaposition to our Grade II-listed Georgian building. I believe this vibrancy of her work is sure to appeal to many art lovers and turn the heads of local people passing by our window.”
Katherine Stephenson, PDA Young Emerging Artist Coordinator, said:
“Amadora is a deserving winner of the PDA Young Emerging Artist Award, supported this year by the generous sponsorship of Holcim UK. We were impressed by the exceptionally high standard of entries, and Amadora stood out as a talented and vibrant emerging artist at the start of what promises to be an exciting career. The award was created to encourage and support young artistic talent, and we are delighted to welcome Amadora to PDA membership. Alongside mentoring and support from our network of experienced artists, she will also have the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the impressive new Hopton Hall Gallery. We are grateful to Hopton Hall Gallery for helping provide such an important showcase for emerging artists.”
Hopton Hall Gallery will be holding an open evening on Friday, 7th August 2026 (7pm – 9pm) where guests are invited to celebrate the Peak District’s rich creative talent and experience Amadora’s vibrant, dynamic works in person. The evening also presents the opportunity for the Hopton Hall team to give thanks to those who were involved in creating this space.
The Gallery is open for exhibitions from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am – 4pm, with a schedule typically changing every six weeks.
