Martha Zmpounou: Glowing Layers – Jackson’s Art Blog

Martha Zmpounou won the Planographic Runner Up Award in Jackson’s Art Prize 2026 with her work Man in Yellow Suit. In this interview, she discusses what she’s been up to since winning a Guest Judge’s Choice Award in 2025, the characters that become familiar favourites in her work, and developing her practice with new surfaces.

Above image: Martha in her studio

Josephine: It’s been a little over a year since we last spoke, after Dressing Up won Anne Rothenstein’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize 2025. What have you been up to since then?

Martha: It’s been a busy year, balancing motherhood, teaching, and my art practice. I had my second solo show with Rhodes Contemporary Art Gallery in London, as well as taking part in several group shows and the London Original Print Fair. I’ve really enjoyed the group shows in particular, as they’ve given me the chance to meet and connect with some wonderful fellow artists.

At the moment, I’m finalising work for Imprint Art Fair and developing a new body of work for an upcoming solo show, which I am very excited about.

Josephine: What were you thinking about or exploring at the time you made Man in Yellow Suit? What inspired it, and how did it come to be?

Martha: Man in Yellow Suit is part of a larger body of work consisting primarily of hand-printed, multi-layered watercolour monoprints. I wanted to portray a man caught in a quiet moment of pause and solitude. I was interested in playing with varying degrees of abstraction and bold colour, while still maintaining the recognisable qualities of a portrait.

Often, the people I draw aren’t portraits of real individuals. Instead, I invent fictional characters, drawing from my imagination as well as collaged fragments I find in magazines, historical references, and old scrapbooks. I like bringing these different pieces together and seeing how they can suggest a new identity – someone who feels somehow familiar, but also elusive. I’m less interested in capturing an exact likeness and more interested in imagining who someone might be, or what they might carry with them. For me, it’s less about the face itself and more about the atmosphere, feeling, or story that seems to sit behind it.

Josephine: What made you submit this piece to Jackson’s Art Prize?

Martha: It was really a personal preference. For some reason, he’s become one of my favourite characters, and I’ve used him in several pieces. Sometimes making a work can be quite a struggle, while other times it seems to come together almost on its own. This one was particularly enjoyable to make, so I had a strong feeling about it.

I’m very happy that the piece was selected and received an award. Your favourite pieces aren’t always the ones that resonate most with judges, so it was a lovely surprise to see this one selected.

Josephine: There is a glow to your work due to your combination of watercolours, paper, and the monoprinting process. How do these materials and processes succeed in achieving your themes around memory, connection and underlying psychologies?

Martha: I think the ‘glow’ comes from the way in which I build up the paint in layers. I work on a glossy surface such as plastic, which allows the watercolour to move and slide quite freely. By varying the amount of paint and water, I can create both opaque and transparent marks. I like being able to combine more controlled, polished marks with looser, almost ‘sloppy’ ones.

For me, though, the themes of memory and connection come more through the composition and the environments I create around the figures. Whether they’re sleeping, dreaming, or having a conversation, they often seem to inhabit spaces somewhere between reality, memory, and imagination. These invented spaces allow me to explore feelings such as nostalgia, trust, calm, belonging, and connection, without necessarily having to define exactly what is happening.

Josephine: How did it feel to progress through the competition and ultimately win the Jackson’s Planographic Runner Up Award, especially after your success last year?

Martha: It felt great! I feel very lucky and honoured to have received a prize two years in a row. At the same time, I’m very aware that there’s an element of chance involved, as there were so many strong submissions that could have been selected instead.

For me, the award feels like a lovely piece of positive feedback and encouragement. It gives me confidence and keeps me motivated to continue developing my work.

Josephine: What’s coming up next for you?

Martha: I have several projects coming up that I’m excited about, alongside some new gallery collaborations, several group exhibitions, and an upcoming solo show. I’ve also started experimenting with and working on found fabrics.

I really enjoy experimenting with different surfaces. Working on fabric – usually lightweight cotton, found fabrics, and muslin – rather than traditional canvas has been a new challenge for me, and that’s what keeps it interesting.

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Further Reading

Meet Angela Lizon, Winner of Jackson’s Art Prize 2026

Jackson’s Art Prize 2026 First Prize Winner Announced

How We Collaborate With Artists

Expert Advice on Making Your Way as an Artist

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