The Lester Prize Main Awards exhibition was held at The Art Gallery of Western Australia from 1 October to 13 November 2022.
Sophia Alone, Respect Grandfather Kutri Makanykarra
Judges comments, provided by Penelope Grist, Jessyca Hutchens, and Colin Walker:
All of us were immediately drawn to the intimacy of this work. The work draws you in close but opens out into a wider world and context of family and Country. The way the details of the face were sensitively captured give a sense of her grandfather’s character, personality, and close relationship with the artist. The vibrant contrasting colours and brushwork create a unique energy that brings the portrait to life.
Mark Chu, Here in Spirit
Judges comments, provided by Penelope Grist, Jessyca Hutchens, and Colin Walker:
As one of the few works that featured the body as the central focus of the portrait, we found this to be a compelling vision of domestic space and intimacy. A dynamic painterly work, the piece explores different types of mark-making to create a distinct mood. The unique composition captures a story through the body in dialogue with architectural space.
Nicholas Hopwood, Quest
Judges comments, provided by Penelope Grist, Jessyca Hutchens, and Colin Walker:
We were attracted to the unique subject matter of the work and layers of reality present in the story. The pose of the subject invites to imagine the virtual reality hidden from view. A beautifully executed realism with soft focus and tones blurs the line between reality and imagination in this work. It was an interesting response to the experience of recent lockdowns, inviting us into another dimension of domestic space.
Julia Donney, Smoko
Judges comments, provided by Penelope Grist, Jessyca Hutchens, and Colin Walker:
We were immediately drawn to the slice of everyday life captured in this scene. Her friends are captured with affection and humour. The brushwork and the colours lend a familiar vibrancy to the story and the dynamic composition involves the viewer in this social moment.
Greg Creek, Diecast‐speech painting (picture of David Sequeira)
Greg Creek has presented group and individual exhibitions in Australia and internationally. He has been the recipient of several residencies and commissions and was awarded the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 1996. Creek holds a PhD at RMIT University (2014) where he is also a senior lecturer in art and studio leader in drawing.
Adrian Lazzaro, Self-portrait
Adrian Lazzaro is a contemporary artist working across painting,
printmaking, and textiles. Having worked in the Arts Project Australia (APA) studio since 2004, Lazzaro has exhibited widely in both Australia and overseas. APA is a studio and gallery that supports neurodiverse artists, promoting their work and advocating for their inclusion in contemporary art practice.
Sarah Anthony, Breathe
Sarah is a figurative painter and metalsmith with a particular interest in exploring interpersonal dynamics through portraiture and depictions of domestic life. She has exhibited internationally and her work is held in the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery public collection. This is Sarah’s second year as a Lester Prize finalist.
Hamid Abbasi (WA) • Richard Allen (NSW) • Sophia Alone (WA) • Sarah Anthony (VIC) • Paul Askins (WA) • Rod Bailey (QLD) • Elizabeth Barden (QLD) • Peter Berner (NSW) • Jeremy Blank (WA) • Sean Burton (VIC) • Deidre But-Husaim (SA) • Stirling Caiulo (VIC) • Ming How Chan (QLD) • Sudhir Chhetri (VIC) • Mark Chu (VIC) • Greg Creek (VIC) • Susannah Curtis (TAS) • Jennifer D’Arcy (VIC) • Andrew Daly (WA) • Robert Darbourne (WA) • Liam Dee (WA) • Julia Donney (NSW) • Nathan Feldman (VIC) • Damian Gascoigne (NSW) • Monika Gruszka (NSW) • Thomas Hona (NSW) • Nicholas Hopwood (TAS) • Jasmin Lawford (WA) • Adrian Lazzaro (VIC) • Marie Mansfield (NSW) • Elizabeth Nelson (VIC) • Fiona O’Byrne (VIC) • Nathan Paddison (NSW) • Jenna Pickering (WA) • Andy Quilty (WA) • Leigh Rees (VIC) • Kirthana Selvaraj (NSW) • Rosemary Spelman (WA) • Jill Talbot (NSW) • Fiona White (VIC)
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