Artist: Serena Cowie
Title: The conversation
Subject: Maria Arvanitis and Alexandra Perrott
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 50 x 50 cm
“The polished execution of The conversation and the portrayal of the intimacy between these two larger-than-life women, offer a compelling insight into the nature of friendship in an era of social and digital media. The exquisitely refined facture of this painting is perfectly attuned to the temporal sensibilities of our technological age.”
As voted by The Lester Prize 2020 Finalists
As voted by the Minderoo Foundation
Artist: Sebastian Galloway
Title: Warm air, cool light
Subject: Pirrin Francis
Medium: oil on Aluminium
Size: 60 x 40 cm
Artist: Stacey Evangelou
Title: Warrior by spirit
Subject: Joe Williams
Medium: charcoal and white chalk on toned paper
Size: 49 x 47 cm
“The work is an exemplary reflection of the values advocated by the Minderoo Foundation Spirit Prize. It’s a remarkable work that demonstrates the care and empathy between the portraitist and the subject. The work acknowledges the resilience of First Nations people, and celebrates Joe’s personal courage and determination.”
As voted by the public
Artist: Jess Le Clerc
Title: Shadow and bloom
Subject: Eden Le Clerc, Jewel Le Clerc and Summer Le Clerc
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 76 x 102 cm
Artist: Kierah Falkner Babbel
Title: Race car ya ya
Subject: Robyn Babbel and Karl Babbel
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Size: 76.2 x 61 cm
“This effervescent portrayal of Robyn and Karl Babbel speaks to the joy of life and familial relationships. Surrounded by a cornucopia of personal belongings, this couple’s flamboyance is conveyed with a quiet and respectful tenderness that is astutely balanced against a bold and courageous use of colour.”
Artist: Daevid Anderson
Title: The dying slave – study
Subject: Andrew Nicholls
Medium: oil on canvas board
Size: 40.6 x 30.5 cm
“Daevid Anderson utilises extraordinary technical skill to craft a compelling portrait of a fellow artist that successfully reveals a deep sense of the sitter’s own creative sensitivities and sense of self.”
Artist: Joshua Cocking
Title: Making plants – a portrait of Franque
Subject: Franque Batty
Medium: oil on linen
Size: 182 x 182 cm
“In his majestic Portrait of Franque, Joshua Cocking situates the noble banality of everyday life alongside colonial representations of the Australian landscape. In so doing he elevates his neighbour Franque into an almost heroic figure who humbly commands a skillfuLly painted illusion of collaged make-believe landscapes.”