We are thrilled to announce that John Keane has been selected as the winner of the Main Prize for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2015.

Four paintings from Keane's Fear series (2013) are displayed at York St Mary's. The works draw on images from the great Stalinist terror of the 1930s, sourced from mug shots of arrested victims (some well known, some anonymous).

Of monumental scale, these paintings are compelling portraits that tease out the essence of that most fundamental driver of human emotion usually to be found at the root of all violence - fear.

Cherie Federico, Director of the Aesthetica Art Prize and Editor of Aesthetica Magazine, comments:

"John Keane's paintings powerfully capture the fear surrounding the Moscow show trials, and invite us to pause and reflect upon how this fundamental human emotion plays a key role in our lives, and is universally resonant. We are delighted to present the Main Prize award to John for his phenomenal paintings and hope that many people will come and see them within the group show at York St Mary's."

Keane comments on winning the Main Prize:"I am sincerely honoured and thrilled to have received the award, particularly in competition with such a strong and diverse group of shortlisted artists. The paintings in this exhibition are fragments of an extreme and terrible moment of modern history, but as I am constantly reminded, the dangers of such events happening again must be guarded against, and it is my hope that art can help to play some small part in this."

John will give a free lunchtime talk on Thursday April 9, 12:30pm at York St Mary's to discuss his work and winning the prize.