Darwen painter hoping to be named Sky Arts' Portrait Artist of the Year

Khushna Sulaman-Butt, 23, has made it to the heats of Sky’s Portrait Artist of the Year.

She said: “I’m really excited about the show but quite nervous too. I had so much fun filming. It was an incredible experience and I learned a lot. We only had four hours to complete the portrait so the pressure was immense, but it was amazing.”

The former Darwen Aldridge Community Academy student, who was the first ever Aldridge student to gain a place at Oxford University where she graduated with a degree in Fine Art in 2016, is competing in the fifth series of the show.

Over the course of 11 episodes, professional and amateur artists are put through several rounds of regional competitions in which they are challenged to produce a portrait of one of three famous sitters.

In tonight’s episode, presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan, the sitters are actors Angela Griffin, Gina McKee and Jamael Westman.

Three judges decide the winning artist of each round, who goes on to the semi-final and then to the final, which are both filmed at the National Portrait Gallery. The overall winner receives a £10,000 commission to paint a famous personality, which this year is Tom Jones, and the picture becomes part of a National Gallery exhibition.

Miss Sulaman-Butt, who now lives in London but comes back to Darwen whenever she can, added: “I’d love one day to work with a gallery but whatever happens on the show I will continue making art.”

Her mother, Ghazala Sulaman-Butt, said: “It was a challenge but she’s done herself proud. I am absolutely ecstatic and really proud of her. She’s living her dream and doing what she wants to do.”

Miss Sulaman-Butt was the youngest exhibitor shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award in 2017 and had one of her paintings hung in the National Portrait Gallery. To see if she makes it to the semi-finals, tune in to Sky Arts at 8pm tonight.