Artist and Old Brentwood Taro Qureshi is celebrating being chosen as a contestant in the much-acclaimed Sky Arts Portrait Artist of The Year competition.

Twenty-four-year-old Taro’s appearance on the popular Arts Show, hosted by Dame Joan Blackwell and Frank Skinner, follows his successful entry submission of a self-portrait.   

Filming for the competition heats took place last summer at The Wallace Collection in London, home to one of Europe’s finest art collections.

Taro, who left Brentwood in 2011, explained: “We were mic'd up and given croissants and a chance to talk to the other contestants who were all very accomplished professional artists. Although the rest of the day will be captured pretty well on TV - it will never illustrate accurately the bewildering experience of meeting Frank Skinner!”

The winner of the competition will receive a £10,000 commission and £500 worth of art materials from Cass Art. Presenters Bakewell and Skinner are joined by award-winning artist Tai Shan Schierenberg, art historian Kate Bryan and independent curator Kathleen Soriano.

Headmaster Ian Davies said: “We wish Taro all the best of luck in this prestigious competition and look forward to watching him next week.”