Ceramicist Rebecca Wilson is one of a group of award winners at Visual Arts Scotland annual open exhibition which opened last week in Edinburgh.

The exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy Building provides a multi-disciplinary platform where painters, photographers and sculptors exhibit alongside ceramicists, jewellers, textile artists and furniture makers.

There is a strong presence of ceramics at this year’s exhibition with Craig Mitchell also winning an award, and invited artist Edith Garcia challenging the boundaries of the medium with her installation Happy Ugly Scars.  Her installation, an exploration of the human condition, emerges from wall hung framed drawings and paintings to invade the gallery space with ceramic forms.

Jeweller Sarah Kettley won the £500 VAS Award for Applied Art for her new jewellery in precious metal clay and enamel.  This series of work won the PMC Guild competition, Small Treasures, last year.  This new work will also be on show in the exhibition Fired Up! at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh which opens 9 April 2008.

The £1000 Morton Fraser Award, which was open to all exhibitors, was won by textile artist Malcolm Cruickshank for his patchwork quilt which was exhibited at Scissors Paper Stone last year and features images of his life in Edinburgh from over the past 25 years.

Textile artist Sara Keith won the £500 Scottish Gallery award for triptych of new 3D silver electroformed fabric in box frames.

Rebecca Wilson won the Peter Potter Gallery Trust Award of £250 and a solo show at the Peter Potter Gallery, and jeweller Amy Chan won the £50 Lily McDougal Award.

The Visual Arts Scotland Annual Exhibition is on at the Royal Scottish Academy Building, The Mound, Edinburgh from 21 March to 17 April 2008.  Open daily 10am to 5pm and Sundays 12 noon until 5pm.  Admission free.