Square Art, the London ad industry’s annual opportunity to show off its extracurricular artistic activities, opened at Golden Square Post last night…

The exhibition/competition has been running for eight years now, and is open to anyone who works in advertising, but is a secret artist on the side. In a break with Square Art tradition, this year’s show was themeless, resulting in an eclectic selection of photographs, paintings, and sculptures displayed over the three floors of Golden Square Post’s offices.

A panel of judges (which included myself, alongside artist Harland Miller, Saatchi Gallery director Philippa Adams, Mother creative director Mark Waites, Campaign editor Claire Beale, and Shots editor Danny Edwards) convened earlier this week to pick a winning work from the exhibition, plus two runners-up. An intriguing work in tiles, titled No 57, by JP Glas from Arnold KLP was chosen as this year’s winner.

Second was an intense portrait, titled Girl Against Green, by Simon Riley…

…while the third prize went to David McNulty from London Particular with his photograph Mayday.

Among the other works that caught the judges’ eyes was the painting Going Home by Fan Li.

This amusing painting, Barking, was one of two paintings entered by Oliver Carver.

James Kay submitted a number of photographic works starring miniature characters, including this work.

And animator Matthias Hoegg entered this charming work, Thursday.

The works will continue to hang in the Golden Square Post offices for the next few weeks. More info on Square Art can be found at goldensq.com/squareArt.