South Devon College lecturer honoured with global art award
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20 Jan 2026 ]
A South Devon College lecturer has received international recognition for a socially conscious art project, earning one of the contemporary art world’s most prestigious honours.
Pawel Szymanski, Programme Coordinator for Art and Design at the College, has been awarded the Persona Art Honors 2025, an international distinction presented to just 50 artists worldwide.
Established by the Contemporary Art Station, the Persona Art Honors celebrate ‘distinctive artistic vision, innovative visual language and meaningful contributions to contemporary art’.
Mr Szymanski’s award-winning project, Hypnotic Repetition, was selected by the Contemporary Art Station’s Curatorial Board. The series explores visual responses to individuals seemingly trapped in repetitive, hypnotic patterns of existence.
“Hypnotic Repetition is an exploration of souls suspended in time, caught between the world as it is and the world as they dream it could be,” said Mr Szymanski.
“I work primarily in painting and video art, combining the gravity of traditional mastery with contemporary innovation. My palette leans towards subdued lighting and evocative colour, creating atmospheric spaces, where meaning emerges slowly from shadow.”
Pawel Szymanski, Programme Coordinator for Art and Design at South Devon College
The project was inspired by the hardships faced by communities across the globe.
“I became fascinated by those who wait, who exist in liminal spaces between dreams and harsh realities,” he explained. “Their resilience in the face of poverty, broken families and shattered worlds became my muse. I wanted to capture the moment, when survival becomes ritual, when hope becomes obsession, when waiting becomes a way of being.”
Research for Hypnotic Repetition took Mr Szymanski across Africa, Haiti, Burma, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico.
“Each painting is a portrait not just of a person, but of their internal struggle. The gap between the persona they project and the reality they endure,” he said. “Gold chains over poverty. Designer labels covering abuse. Instagram dreams masking family trauma.”
A couple of Mr Szymanski’s works
Reflecting on the award, Mr Szymanski added: “This recognition validates three decades of commitment to exploring the shadows where truth resides – painting the space between who we pretend to be and who we struggle to become.”
Mr Szymanski has worked in fine art for over 40 years and now teaches both Higher and Further Education students. He also serves as an external examiner for institutions including the University of the Arts London and the Academic Qualifications Alliance. Other awards received include the International Vision Collector’s Award and Contemporary Art Curator Magazine’s Power of Creativity Art Prize.
“Winning this award allows me to show students that meaningful art requires courage – the courage to look, where others turn away,” he said. “Art carries responsibility. When you paint someone’s truth, you become a custodian of their story.”
He added: “I am grateful for the support and opportunities provided by South Devon College and I look forward to continuing to bring this creative excellence into my work with students and colleagues.”
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