Suleman Aqeel Khilji
Since 2021, Stewarts has sponsored a prize for a graduate of the Royal Academy Schools programme, supporting their endeavours following graduation of the RA Schools postgraduate course. We are pleased to announce that the 2025 Stewarts Prize winner is Suleman Aqeel Khilji.
Suleman’s work has been displayed along with that of the full 2025 graduating class at the RA Schools Show, running until 29 June. Stewarts will also exhibit his art in the firm’s London and Leeds offices later this year.
Managing Partner Stuart Dench commented: “Suleman is a highly deserving winner of this year’s prize. The quality of work was, as ever, high across the class as a whole, and it is testament to Suleman’s skill that he stood out. We look forward to hosting his art at Stewarts.”
This year’s winner
Suleman Aqeel Khilji previously studied at the National College of Arts in Lahore and has been part of Artist Residencies such as VASL and the Mansion Artist Residency. He sees painting as a space for contemplation, characterised by constant change and a transient quality.
Keenly observing the interplay of translucency, transparency and opacity within his work, Suleman views the impermanence in this process as a reflection of the ever-evolving nature of collective consciousness. He often choose to incorporate found objects such as old books and wooden surfaces: these weathered materials are reimagined as temporal characters, layering narrative and image.
Suleman Aqeel Khilji
You can see more of Suleman’s work on Instagram.
The Stewarts Foundation and Royal Academy Schools
In tandem with our support for the RA Schools Show, the Stewarts Foundation provides financial support for one student at a time throughout their three year course via the Stewarts Scholarship Bursary. Though enrolment at RA Schools is free, additional sponsorship ensures that all places are offered on the sole basis of creative potential and artistic merit, and provides the chosen student with bursary funding to enable greater freedom to explore their creativity without material constraints.
In 2023, Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell became the second recipient of Stewarts’ Scholarship Grant and Bursary. Her work will be displayed at the RA Schools Show 2026.
Rachel Hobkirk, the first recipient of the Bursary, commented: “I’d like to thank Stewarts for continuing to generously support me whilst I study at the RA Schools. It is incredibly important that artists receive financial support during these crucial, early years. Without it, the sense of financial burden many artists face can lead them to eventually stop making work, which is why the bursary support provided by the RA Schools through their donors is so vital.”
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