Latest news with #BoySwallowsUniverse
West Australian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
What to Watch: The Survivors, Stick, This City Is Ours, Lego Masters and Guy Mont Spelling Bee
There has been a plethora of book-to-TV adaptations hitting screens of late. Some have been incredibly watchable (Boy Swallows Universe), some have missed the mark (hello series two of Nine Perfect Strangers). This one, based on the book by Jane Harper, will be hoping to land with audiences — and if the trailer is anything to go by, then viewers can certainly expect a twisty-turny tale. It sees The Rings Of Power star Charlie Vickers playing a young man, Kieran Elliott, haunted by events that shaped his life some 15 years earlier, when a storm took the lives of two boys close to him. He survived and is haunted by what happened, still wrestling with his complex survivor guilt as he revisits his childhood home with partner Mia (played by Yerin Ha), who also grew up in the town. Almost as soon as they land back in the tiny Tasmanian town they once called home, a body washes up on the shore, and as events unfold, it begins to look increasingly as though the death is connected to the devastating events that happened all those years ago and the death of another girl they all grew up with. Shot in Tasmania and produced by the award-winning team at Tony Ayres Productions (Fires, Clickbait, Stateless), The Survivors boasts a stunning ensemble cast, including Robyn Malcolm (pictured), Jessica De Gouw, Catherine McClements, Thom Green and Martin Sacks. With a cast like that, you know it's going to be worth a watch. Seven seasons on, it's truly a marvel there's still blood to be squeezed from the Lego Masters stone. But you can't keep a good Brickman down. And he's back, along with host Hamish Blake, to preside over builders from seven countries — Canada, China, Finland, Sweden, USA, New Zealand and Australia — to see who'll be crowned 'the ultimate grandmaster of the galaxy'. It's a stretch, but we'll allow it. Family-friendly fun. This series, starring Owen Wilson as a washed-up golf pro who finds new purpose in mentoring a young golfing prodigy, has 'TV hit' written all over it. Heartfelt performances, believable characters and clippy dialogue make it an incredibly watchable proposition, even if the idea of a show about golf makes you want to stick a tee in your eye. Even the biggest haters will fall hard for this delightful series — you're going to love it. Love yourself a gritty British crime drama? This could be about to become your new favourite. And even better — it stars Sean Bean! This series, about a gang of cocaine smugglers, has been getting great reviews in the UK, and is BBC's most-watched new drama launch of 2025, which gives you an idea of what to expect. Also stars James Nelson-Joyce (pictured) and Hannah Onslow. One for Scouse crime fans. Watching high-profile Australians try to spell on national TV will never not be funny. Throw in comedian Guy Montgomery and his comedy offsider Aaron Chen and you've got a laugh-out-loud quiz show guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. This season's line-up includes Hannah Gadsby, Hamish Blake, Rove McManus, Denise Scott and Dave Hughes. Looking forward to seeing how they fare — the worse, the better!
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton talks the power of optimism with Paula Bennett
'That event last year, I swear, was the most powerful book event I've ever done. 'It was extraordinary and it was so powerful because there was just so much to catch up on. I hadn't done a book event in New Zealand and I just can't wait to kind of do part two of that. I hope every person who went to that last one comes because it's like we get to continue the conversation. It was just beautiful.' Dalton said that to be able to tell his 'little yarns from suburban Brisbane' was an incredible experience, and the audience response pushed him to go further. 'If I sense that the crowd's like, 'I'm still listening, I'm still listening', I'll go deeper and deeper, and I'll just keep digging and digging until I find something and then at the end, we're all just sort of sharing these amazing things.' His 'little suburban yarns' have taken Dalton around the world, far beyond his Queensland hometown. His debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, was only released in 2018, but in less than a decade it has become one of the most beloved Australian novels of the 21st century. Based on Dalton's own experiences growing up with an absent father and a drug-addicted mother, the story of Eli Bell and his brother August has sold more than 1 million copies in Australia alone. It was adapted into a miniseries for Netflix in 2024. Dalton said that while the book only came out seven years ago, he has been writing it since he was 12. 'I genuinely believe I was sort of secretly stepping into that world at 12, even when I was, at times, deep inside moments that happened in that book. I felt weirdly conscious of how special it was, even though it was dark. 'Like I'm saying you're going up to Bogo Rd Women's Prison to see your mum and you're aware of how special it is... how different that is. I, I just remember being very conscious that I was leading a life [from] when I was about 7 till about, well, 20, that was just different to so many other people.' He said that it was almost like a secret power that he carried with him to view what he was going through as special. For him and his three older brothers, it felt like they were on their own 'little adventure'. 'It's just that our adventure happened to feature heroin dealers and prison and big drinkers. 'Like I was really crafting that thing and just clocking things, even unconsciously.' Advertise with NZME. Despite his rough upbringing, Dalton considers himself an optimist, telling Bennett that he would put that down on his driver's licence or passport if he could. That has led to some criticism from people about how optimistic he can be, which Dalton puts down to some people viewing it as naivety. 'I have to always remind people, please, please go easy on the optimists, because often their optimism has come from the darkest places, and holding on to the light is all they can do, otherwise, they'll never get up. 'I have this thing about always wrap your arms around the bubbly people, and don't take 'em for granted, because those bubbly people are often battling some cracks, and they've crawled out of some stuff and, and it's just like, please never mistake optimism for naivety.' Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Trent Dalton reveals Boy Swallows Universe origin story and his next ‘murder-mystery' project
Fans of Boy Swallows Universe,get keen – the star Australian author behind the global streaming hit has a new novel coming out, and it is his most intimate project yet. Revealing he has just finished writing Gravity Let Me Go, which wraps together themes of true crime and relationships, Trent Dalton acknowledged feeling 'profound gratitude and crippling dread' because 'this might be the most personal book I've ever written'. Dalton also shared a little-known story about the humble origins of his semi-autobiographical 2018 debut, Boy Swallows Universe, which became a No1 bestseller and was turned into a TV smash by Netflix last year. He said as a young journalist two decades ago he had tried writing a book, largely to distract himself from the 'troubled nocturnal ramblings' of his eccentric rental housemate, a British WWII veteran 'who conversed at length with his ginger cat every night after six VB tallies'. 'I called this book Armour. The title came from the fact my three older brothers and I were obsessed with the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table,' Dalton wrote in The Daily Telegraph. 'All the streets where we grew up in this particular Housing Commission cluster of Bracken Ridge, Brisbane, were named after Arthur and his knights … I always thought it was so hopeful and optimistic that a place bursting daily with innumerable social sores was named after such romantic and noble figures of mythology. 'I feverishly devoted 40,000 words to Armour before I wisely realised it was a load of garbage and I swapped bad writing for reading the works of good writers and, after doing that for 18 years, I turned the bones of Armour into my first novel, Boy Swallows Universe.' That storywas an award-winner at home and topped the streaming charts in the US. Dalton revealed he has only watched the show in full once; however he has repeatedly viewed the closing scene, because it reminds him of the one thing he longed for as a child, in vain: that his estranged parents 'might one day be able to live together'. 'Then Netflix came along and turned that book into a series and added on a scene at the end that showed me exactly what such a world might have looked like,' he wrote. 'Maybe I think if I watch that scene enough times I might be able to convince myself that it's real.' The new novel, Gravity Let Me Go, will be published in late September by HarperCollins. Like Dalton, its protagonist is a married father-of-two and a journalist. And like three of his other hits – Boy Swallows Universe, Love Stories and Lola In The Mirror – it is also set in Brisbane. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'It's a marriage story buried inside a murder-mystery … my aim was to write something that might feel familiar to the eight-million-plus married people in this country and to the 70 per cent of Australians who live in the suburbs, while also being my version of a rattling noir-ish whodunit.'
Herald Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
Trent Dalton reveals deeply personal new novel and BSU secret
You probably know TRENT DALTON as the writing sensation behind Boy Swallows Universe – the Aussie No1 novel that became a global Netflix phenomenon – plus a string of other bestsellers like Lola In The Mirror and Love Stories. But he's also an award-winning journalist: so, with a deeply personal new project on the boil, he sat down for an interview – with himself. From secret books to superpowers, this is what he learned... What's on your horizon? A new book called Gravity Let Me Go. It will land across Oz in late-September and I'm currently filled with my usual feelings of profound gratitude and crippling dread. The dread comes from the fact I think this might be the most personal book I've ever written. It's a marriage story buried inside a murder mystery. It's a story about a journalist, a husband, a father of two living in the northern suburbs of Brisbane who becomes so obsessed with the true crime scoop of his lifetime that he almost misses an even bigger scoop: the one about true love and the very meaning of his life. My aim was to write something that might feel familiar to the eight-million-plus married people in this country and to the 70 per cent of Australians who live in the suburbs, while also being my version of a rattling noir-ish whodunit. Ultimately, I think the feelings of dread are a good thing because I think writers can benefit from discomfort; from working in an imaginative space just close enough to the bone to make every word matter. How many times have you watched Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix? Once, from start to finish. And then I think I've skipped to the final scene of the final episode about a hundred times after the kids have gone to bed and it's just me alone with the TV remote. I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to tell you that the final scene is a simple scene of a simple family eating dinner in the suburbs of Brisbane on a balmy summer night. All I ever wanted when I was a kid was for my mum and dad to get back together after breaking up before I could even write my name. My beautiful mum and dad loved each other dearly, they just couldn't live with each other. I wrote a semi-autobiographical book called Boy Swallows Universe that imagined a world in which they might one day be able to live together. Then Netflix came along and turned that book into a series and added on a scene at the end that showed me exactly what such a world might have looked like. It's so beautiful to me, that scene, that I can't stop watching it and every time I do it makes me cry tears of joy. Maybe I think if I watch that scene enough times I might be able to convince myself that it's real. Tell us a secret. What is one thing people may not know about you? Twenty-four years ago I shared half a low-set two-room shoebox rental house with a British World War II veteran in Windsor, Brisbane, who conversed at length with his ginger cat every night after six VB tallies. To distract myself from this dear old man's increasingly troubled nocturnal ramblings, I started to try my hand at writing a book. I called this book Armour. The title came from the fact my three older brothers and I were obsessed with the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. All the streets where we grew up in this particular Housing Commission cluster of Bracken Ridge, Brisbane, were named after Arthur and his knights. Arthur Street. Gawain Road. Percivale Street. Lancelot Street. I always thought it was so hopeful and optimistic that a place bursting daily with innumerable social sores was named after such romantic and noble figures of mythology. I feverishly devoted 40,000 words to Armour before I wisely realised it was a load of garbage and I swapped bad writing for reading the works of good writers and, after doing that for 18 years, I turned the bones of Armour into my first novel, Boy Swallows Universe. Why does music always figure so heavily in your novels? Almost every waking hour that I spend on this earth, there's some form of a song rattling through my head. These songs fall out of me in whistles or the taps of a wooden spoon on a fry pan edge or headbanger slaps of my palms on a steering wheel and sometimes even sentences in my books. Usually one song will rotate for hours on repeat in my head until I've hummed it into oblivion. Today's song has been Nothing Lasts Forever by Echo and the Bunnymen. This is because I've been reading edits of Gravity Let Me Go and one of the characters in the book is wearing an Echo and the Bunnymen T-shirt. This caused me to play, after I dropped my daughter to uni, my favourite Echo song, Nothing Lasts Forever, on the drive home. Of course, good music always has a new revelation for us and today's revelation for me was that the lyrics of Nothing Lasts Forever could actually define what I've been trying to say in all my books: 'All the shadows and the pain are comin' to you' …. but the good news is … 'nothing ever lasts forever'. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Time travel. I'd pull my own version of a Marty McFly and go back in time to 1982 and I'd go down to the Brighton Hotel and become friends with my dad by talking about the wonders of Lennon & McCartney and the films of Jack Nicholson. I'd tell him about the wonders of the future – FaceTime, electric cars and Billy Slater's chip kick try in the 2004 State of Origin – and he'd be so awed by my words that he'd listen to me when I told him he should work harder on fixing his marriage. Trent Dalton's Gravity Let Me Gowill be published later this year by HarperCollins. Chat about – and with – your favourite authors at The Sunday Book Club on Facebook. Originally published as 'Most personal book I've written': Trent Dalton on his new novel, the 'garbage' origin story of Boy Swallows Universe and why he wants to be Marty McFly
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Jackie O as you've never seen her before
This week, Jackie hit back at an elderly neighbour who complained as construction began on her dream home and labelled her and Sandilands 'disgusting'. But Jackie O also revealed that she was blown away by the Archibald portrait, saying she had been blown away by Maree's previous work of actor Josh Heuston. 'Fast forward a few months, I'm in New York, still talking about that painting with friends, still in my mind,' she said in an Instagram video. 'The very next day, an email lands in my inbox. It's from Kelly!!!!! Out of the blue. She wanted to know if I'd be open to being painted for her Archibald next year. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Was this real? What serendipity. Turns out we were drawn to each other.' Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard Banquet (Rainbow Chan) by Whitney Duan depicts artist and musician Chun Yin Rainbow Chan. Born in Hong Kong and living and working in Sydney, Chan often evokes traditional Chinese methods in different ways. Picture: Whitney Duan, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Rainbow Chan before the 2017 MOFO Festival. Felix Cameron by Jeremy Eden depicts young actor Felix Cameron. At just 15, Cameron won two Logie awards for his performance as Eli Bell in Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe. Picture: Jeremy Eden, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Eden said the inspiration for the work came after Cameron's Logies acceptance speech. 'It was incredibly moving,' Eden said. 'I was already a big fan of Boy Swallows Universe and I thought Felix gave such a powerful, grounded performance. After meeting him and his family, I wanted to portray him not as a character, but as himself: a teenager at home, passionate about sport.' Photo byfor AFI Ramesh (with mask) by Remy Faint depicts Sri Lankan – born Australian artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, who is a finalist in the Wynne Prize. An irreverent ceramist, Nithiyendran works across materials including sculpture, paining and printmaking. Picture: Remy Faint, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Of Nithiyendran, Faint said: 'Ramesh has a unique charisma that resonates in his art and outgoing personality. This made me think about performativity, a theme Ramesh has explored in his work through the recurring motif of masks, both as a form of adornment and a conceptual idea.' Photo: Hugh Stewart Head of BF no 2 by David Fairbairn depicts head of cardiothoracic surgery at Liverpool Hospital in South Western Sydney Professor Bruce French. Picture: David Fairbairn, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Bruce French sitting for David Fairbairn in the past. Fairbairn said: 'Bruce's striking appearance, with his lean physique and almost skeletal bone structure, immediately drew me in. As a rule, my subjects tend to be people in their later years, who have had rich, varied life experiences, which makes it possible for me to create a more emotive, expressive and visually stimulating response.' This is Fairbairn's 10th time as an Archibald Finalist. Photo: Instagram Keiran by Timothy Ferguson depicts Sydney artist Kerian Gordon, who combines painting, drawing and sculpture in his art. Ferguson is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Timothy Ferguson, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Malatja malatja (into the future) by Robert Fielding depicts his grandson Arnold Dodd, a master spear-maker. Fielding said of the piece: 'This painting is not just about Arnold. It's about all of us who came before and all who will come after. It's about what survives – language, skill, story. He holds it with strength and grace. Through him, our culture walks boldly into the future.' Picture: Robert Fielding, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene) by Julie Fragar depicts artist Justene Williams. The title comes from Justene's recent performance in New Zealand titled Making do rhymes with poo about getting by, particularly balancing work and a family life. Picture: Julie Fragar, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Williams works across media including video, photography, sculpture and performance. Fragar is now a four-time Archibald finalist. Photo: Britta Campion / The Australian Still standing and fighting by Linda Gold depicts AFL legend, 2025 Australian of the Year and FightMND co-founder Neale Daniher. He has raised $115 million for research into the disease he suffers from. Picture: Linda Gold, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Daniher receiving his Australian of the Year honour. Gold said of Daniher: 'I wrote asking if he would consider posing for a portrait. He kindly agreed to a 15-minute sitting at his home. In the end, I spent more than an hour with Neale and his wife Jan.' Photo: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Sisters by Jaq Grantford depicts Antonia and Nicole Kidman, who sat for the portrait last Christmas Eve. The portrait is a tribute to their mother Janelle, who died last September. Picture: Jaq Grantford, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter I won't wish, I will by Yolande Gray depicts well-known ceramic artist Pippin Drysdale, whose career has lasted three decades. Picture: Yolande Gray, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Drysdale uses ceramic and inspiration from landscapes, including Australian desert landscapes, in her work. Photo: Stewart Allen Meditation on time (a left-handed self-portrait) by Tsering Hannaford is a self-portrait done in Hannaford's non-dominant left hand. It took seven months to do after she suffered a debilitating tendon injury in her right wrist. The 11-time Archibald finalist said: 'My right hand is not just connected to my work and livelihood, but to my sense of independence, agency and identity … Art can have the power to transform suffering and, if anything, my experience with chronic pain has made me more sensitive to the challenges of others, and grateful for the blessings I do have.' Picture: Tsering Hannaford, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Nooky, The Voice by JESWRI depicts Yuin and Thunghutti rapper and Triple J radio host Nooky. Nooky also founded the Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors. Picture: JESWRI, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter The portrait of Nooky is after his 2024 ARIA performance, where he's wearing a bulletproof vest. JESWRI said: 'That night, Nooky had an undeniable presence, which needed to be immortalised'. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer New Madonna by Brittany Jones is a self-portrait including her son. The first-time Archibald finalist said: 'I chose to include my son in this self-portrait to commemorate his life with me earthside at roughly the same amount of time he spent inside before he was born. I drew inspiration for the pose from the classical depictions of the Madonna and Child.' Picture: Brittany Jones, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Kim by Solomon Kammer depicts Kim Leutwyler, a seven-time Archibald finalist who had gender-affirming surgery. Picture: Solomon Kammer, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Diana through threads by Madeleine Kelly depicts textile artist, painter and visual art professor at the University of Wollongong Diana Wood Conroy. Over a six decade career, Conroy has produced hundreds of tapestries, with first-time Archibald finalist Kelly choosing the thread theme. Picture: Madeleine Kelly, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Thom Roberts by Daniel Kim depicts Thom Roberts, a four-time Archibald finalist who works across painting, drawing, installation, animation and performance. Picture: Daniel Kim, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Kim said of Roberts: 'Thom and I have both been Archibald finalists before and have had artworks exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Thom and I also did some sketching at the Art Gallery at a late-night art event. Thom is in this year's Sulman Prize.' Picture: John Appleyard Monica in her studio by Bronte Leighton-Dore depicts Monica Rani Rudhar. Born to Indian and Romanian migrant parents, Rudhar works across sculpture, video and performance. Picture: Bronte Leighton-Dore, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Rudhar's art explores cultural disconnection. Leighton-Dore said: 'I don't mind movement in my sittings; it helps relieve the pressure and creates a more relaxed atmosphere. In this case, Monica is shown chatting with me.'. Picture: Monica Rani Rudhar and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia / Zan Wimberley You are only as good as your last painting by Richard Lewer has done a self-portrait which shows him stepping back to admire his painting. Picture: Richard Lewer, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter The New Zealand-born Melburnian is a five-time Archibald finalist. Of the painting he said: 'In the portrait, my clothes are flecked with the smears and splotches of paint from months in the studio. There is a physicality to the outfit; it is a palette, a uniform, and a record of repetition, routine and the discipline of making. The glasses in one hand and paintbrush in the other are metaphors for the act of looking and making; the tools of observation and inspiration.' Ken Done by Fiona Lowry depicts legendary Australian artist Ken Done. Picture: Fiona Lowry, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Painted by 2014 Archibald winner Lowry, she said Done's work had been a feature of her life. 'I chose to paint Ken Done for the Archibald because his art and design was woven into the fabric of my childhood. I remember my mother buying his bedspreads. They felt rich and vibrant, like bringing joy into the home. I used to draw his fish, completely absorbed in their playful shapes and colours that echoed the ocean and my home town. His frangipanis and hibiscus still sit in my memory as symbols of the changing seasons – of warmth, light, and a uniquely Australian kind of beauty.' Picture: Christian Gilles Miranda and Prince by Col Mac depicts Australian actor Miranda Otto. A long time fan of her work, Mac was thrilled when Otto decided to sit for him. Picture: Col Mac, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Otto, who has featured in the likes of The Lord of the Rings, War of the Worlds and TV show Homeland, left Mac feeling she was a 'a very engaging, thoughtful person. We were outside for most of the morning before ending up in the living room, which is why Miranda is wearing those amazing bright sneakers'. Mac is a first-time Archibald finalist. Photo:for IMDb Shan is a little little little mermaid by Catherine McGuiness depicts queer Australian artist Shan Turner-Carroll. Picture: Catherine McGuiness, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Turner-Carroll works across sculpture, performance, photography and film. McGuiness said of Turner-Carroll: 'Shan is an artist and my Prince Charming. He helps me with my sketching and we have made lots of artworks and exhibitions together.' Photo: Instagram Savanhdary by Kerry McInnis depicts Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, a Lao-Australian painter who arrived in the country as a seven-year-old. Picture: Kerry McInnis, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Two-time Archibald finalist McInnis said of Vongpoothorn: 'I have long admired the integrity and execution of Savanhdary's oeuvre, appreciating the complexity of the intercultural connections it illuminates.' King Dingo by Vincent Namatjira is a self-portrait by the 2020 Archibald winner. Picture: Vincent Namatjira, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Namatjira won the Archibald for his painting of Adam Goodes, becoming the first Indigenous artist to win the award. But this time around he painted a self-portrait. 'When I paint self-portraits, I want people to get to know me a bit and see what is important to me – Country, family, history, power, recognition,' Namatjira said. 'Self-portraiture is a way of sharing what it might be like to be in my shoes. It's also an opportunity for me to look at the history of this country and ask, who has the power, and why?' Photo: Sia Duff Self-portrait with nose tube by Chris O'Doherty (AKA Reg Mombassa) is a self-portrait by the legendary artist of Mambo fame. He was also a founding member of Mental as Anything. Picture: Reg Mombassa, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter It's the second time Mombassa has submitted a self-portrait for the prize. 'This painting is based on a selfie and some sketches I made while in hospital a couple of years ago,' he said. 'I find self-portraits easier to set up as I am readily available and will not complain about a negative or ugly portrayal. Plus I don't need to be stuck in a room with a stranger.' Photo: Supplied Casey by Sassy Park depicts ceramic artist Casey Chen, who blends both nostalgia and East Asian ceramics. Park is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Sassy Park, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Self-portrait (the act of putting it back together) by Sid Pattni is a self-portrait examining how he came to understand himself, using a range of different styles. 'Crucially, these references are about getting it wrong; about producing pictures that speak of the here and now,' Pattni said. 'I'm very attracted to the cycle of collapsing interpretations, telling a story of how India is perceived externally and how generations of Indians came to internalise and inhabit Western projections of 'Indian-ness' today. Ultimately, my portrait is not a fixed statement but a dynamic exploration of identity, which is a constant negotiation between inherited histories and the lived realities of the present.' Picture: Sid Pattni, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Sid Pattni entered the 2021 Big Brother house. This is his first year in the Archibald Prize. Picture: Seven Network Magic Nikki and Charlie Fancy Pants Party … DJaaaaaaaay by Meagan Pelham depicts designer and jeweller Nikita Majajas and her wife Charlie Villas, who is a DJ. Picture: Meagan Pelham, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter (L-R) Charlie Villas, Sally Jackson, Gary Bigeni and Nikita Majajas at UTS Honours Graduate Showcase. Pelham said: 'Nikita is such a talented artist. I love her work because it is so colourful and fun and makes me happy. I had the best time DJing with Charlie at the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Australia); we were vibing, rapping and just living it up on stage. I'm all about hip hop, good music and having a blast. That's why I chose them as subjects for my Archibald portrait.' Warwick Thornton by Adrian Jangala Robertson depicts internationally acclaimed director and Indigenous man Thornton. Robertson, who features in a painting himself, is in the Archibald finals for the second time, having previously been one of only two artists to be a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. Picture: Adrian Jangala Robertson, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Thornton has directed movies such as Samson and Delilah and Sweet Country and, like Robertson, also shares his deep connection to Country, family and the role of the past in the present. Photo byfor SXSW Sydney Kidjerikidjeri by Joan Ross depicts First nations curator Coby Edgar. Ross is a three-time Archibald finalist and 2017 Sulman Prize winner. Picture: Joan Ross, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Of Edgar and the painting, Ross said: 'The title Kidjerikidjeri (willy wagtail) is her given name. Coby is a queer woman and the bright red and orange symbolises this. I had the idea of portraying her in a colonial dress. She suggested it be pulled down to the waist to emulate the portraits of her ancestors, photographed by Paul Foelsche in the 1800s. Her body is painted in a wash of ochre and the tattoos were designed by and represent people in her family. She chose to hold red seeds that her ancestor Billiamook gifted to the first colonials. I have used hi-vis (as I often do) as a stamp of colonisation to show that it's a stain on us all.' Picture: Phil Williams Lette loose by Sally Ryan depicts Puberty Blues author Kathy Lette. Picture: Sally Ryan, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter While being circled by sharks, Ryan said of the image: 'It was an absolute joy to capture her essence – full of energy and mischief – with her Cronulla roots serving as the perfect theme for my composition. At her request, I added some sharks into the mix – a playful reference to her most recent novel, The Revenge Club. However, Kathy isn't swimming with the sharks; she is on top of the water, in control and keeping them at bay.' Picture: Richard Dobson The green man by Evan Shipard depicts ABC's Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis. Picture: Evan Shipard, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Of Georgiadis, Shipard said: 'He is an animated character on screen, but I aimed to capture a quieter, more pensive moment that hopefully offers a fresh insight into this popular man. After spending a day painting him, it felt as if we were old friends. He checked in on the work during breaks, but was careful not to get too close as he was excited about the final reveal.'. Picture: Bega Valley Shire Council Finger painting of William Barton by Loribelle Spirovski depicts didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton, who has taken the instrument to new heights by engaging with classical music. Picture: Loribelle Spirovski, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter As for why Spirovski chose finger paining, Spirovski said she played one of Barton's compositions during the sitting. 'For years, I've been recovering from an injury that has made painting difficult and painful. Many times, I've questioned my role as an artist,' Spirovski said. 'As the music began, my hand set the brush aside and I dipped my finger into the soft, pliant paint. I turned the volume up, the music guiding me. Without a brush, painting was almost painless. As the portrait painted itself, I felt alive in a way I hadn't for a very long time.' Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Self-portrait as a cat king by Vipoo Srivilasa depicts the first-time Archibald finalist pretty much as his title suggests. Picture: Vipoo Srivilasa, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Srivilasa said: 'To create this self-portrait, I used my phone in selfie mode instead of a mirror, but I found far more joy in observing my cats than in looking at my reflection.' Generally working in ceramics, Srivilasa chose to do the piece on handmade porcelain tile. Photo: Aaron Francis/The Australian With the shadow by Clare Thackway is a self-portrait, drawing on Jungian concepts of the unconscious part of the psyche. Picture: Clare Thackway, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Thackway, who now lives in Paris, is known for her intimate portraits and figurative paintings. She painted the portrait over two years. The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick by Natasha Walsh depicts Atong Atem, a South Sudanese artist who uses photography to study postcolonialism and the spread of African culture across the world. Picture: Natasha Walsh, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Of the collaboration with Atem, Walsh said: 'Her photographs, which often play with her own representation, have always captivated me. When I asked her which work from art history she would like to reimagine together, she suggested Henri Matisse's Yellow odalisque.' Picture: Mark Mohell Portrait of Sue Chrysanthou by Peter Wegner depicts Sydney defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, who has represented a number of high profile clients. Picture: Peter Wegner, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Chrysanthou arriving at the Lidcombe Coroners Court on the first day of the Westfield Bondi Junction inquest. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short From comic to canvas by Kaylene Whiskey is the artists third time in the Archibald Prize, having previously won the 2018 Sulman Prize. Picture: Kaylene Whiskey, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Of the painting, Whiskey said: 'Now that I'm an artist myself, I like to say that my artworks are 'from the comic to the canvas' because I love to paint my favourite comic book superheroes, especially Wonder Woman. I paint ladies with superpowers because the ladies at Iwantja Arts, where I work, are kungka kunpu (strong women) too! I also love to paint my favourite musicians like Dolly Parton and Tina Turner. I show everyone coming together on Aṉangu Country, sharing bush tucker like tjala (honey ants) and ngiṉtaka (perentie lizard), and having fun, singing and dancing together.' Photo: Merinda Campbell / MAGNT Cormac in Arcadia by Marcus Wills depicts 13-year-old Cormac Wright, who appeared alongside Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris in the 2022 film The Stranger watching a mythical scene from Greek antiquity. Cormac is the middle in the green hoodie. Wills won the Archibald Prize in 2006. Picture: Marcus Wills, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Self-portrait in the studio by Callum Worsfold is 'a raw reflection of me in all my grungy griminess. Although the gas mask was initially a mere prop, adding to the grunge aesthetic, the choice to submit a painting which obscures half my face in a portrait prize seemed a funny idea'. He is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Callum Worsfold, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Wendy in the gallery by Lucila Zentner depicts acclaimed artist Wendy Sharpe, who won the 1996 Archibald Prize for a self-portrait. Sharpe has won many prizes and has held over 70 major exhibitions, as well as being appointed an official war artist by the Australian War Memorial and being posted to East Timor. Picture: Lucila Zentner, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Archibald winning artist Wendy Sharpe and her mural at the Sydney Jewish museum. For Zentner, a first-time Archibald finalist and practising doctor, she said Sharpe's 2024 Spellbound exhibition had inspired her. 'I immediately had an idea for a painting that was small and secretive – a window into a rich inner life. By using Wendy's motifs and paintings for the background, distorted through my lens and brush, I acknowledge and celebrate that another person's inner life is unknowable, even allowing for a lack of fear and censorship in art,' Zentner said.
