Award winning young artist makes donation to the Manchester Innocence Project

Abigail McGourlay, 21, was the winner of the national Isolation Artwork competition with a painting of herself in the bath, called Brewing.

Ms McGourlay has recently finished a fine art degree at the University of Leeds and rediscovered a love of painting during lockdown.

Ms McGourlay said: "The uncertainty of lockdown put me in quite a stressful mindset, and I found it at first difficult to feel motivated.

"This piece captures a real moment of comfort in both my two favourite things, a warm bubble bath and a hot cup of tea."

The winning artwork, an oil painting on canvas, was selected from a shortlist of eight for the Arts Society's national competition

Following her success in the competition, Ms McGourlay has donated £950 of the sale of her painting ‘Brewing’ to the Manchester Innocence Project at the University of Manchester.

The Manchester Innocence Project, based in the School of Social Sciences, is a pro-bono organisation aimed at helping the wrongfully convicted and promoting positive change in the justice system.

Co-Director of the Manchester Innocence Project, Claire McGourlay has been touched by her daughter’s generosity. “I am incredibly proud of my daughter, I always am, but this donation means so much to me personally and professionally. She has grown up surrounded by people I work with all over the world on Pro Bono projects and this donation will help us over the next year to help our clients.”

Find out more about the Manchester Innocence Project.