Latest news with #SulmanPrize
The Advertiser
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Multiverse of motherhood shines brightest in Archibald
Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with a portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams to "honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her". The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and depicts the artist floating among the stars above the materials of making art, her daughter looking on. Fragar has been a finalist in the Archibald four times, and burst into tears when Art Gallery of NSW director Maud Page called Friday morning to tell her she had won. "It feels unbelievable, can you imagine? I'm from a small country town originally, I moved to Sydney to go to art school, so to win the Archibald is amazing," Fragar said after the announcement in Sydney. She described the win as an incredible honour and her longtime friend and colleague Williams as an extraordinary artist. "I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her, spinning not quite out of control," the Brisbane artist said. "The work is a reflection on the experience of making art to deadlines and the labour and love of being a mother." The title of the winning work comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand, titled Making do rhymes with poo, about juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. It's the third year in a row a female artist has won the Archibald, making Fragar the 13th woman to win since the prize started in 1921. "Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them," said Page, who was announced in March as the gallery's new director. Fragar conducted a photo session with Williams and spent three months in the studio working on the painting, which she hoped would communicate her subject's singularity and otherworldliness. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with works painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, who made a unanimous decision on Friday. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with a portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams to "honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her". The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and depicts the artist floating among the stars above the materials of making art, her daughter looking on. Fragar has been a finalist in the Archibald four times, and burst into tears when Art Gallery of NSW director Maud Page called Friday morning to tell her she had won. "It feels unbelievable, can you imagine? I'm from a small country town originally, I moved to Sydney to go to art school, so to win the Archibald is amazing," Fragar said after the announcement in Sydney. She described the win as an incredible honour and her longtime friend and colleague Williams as an extraordinary artist. "I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her, spinning not quite out of control," the Brisbane artist said. "The work is a reflection on the experience of making art to deadlines and the labour and love of being a mother." The title of the winning work comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand, titled Making do rhymes with poo, about juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. It's the third year in a row a female artist has won the Archibald, making Fragar the 13th woman to win since the prize started in 1921. "Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them," said Page, who was announced in March as the gallery's new director. Fragar conducted a photo session with Williams and spent three months in the studio working on the painting, which she hoped would communicate her subject's singularity and otherworldliness. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with works painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, who made a unanimous decision on Friday. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with a portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams to "honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her". The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and depicts the artist floating among the stars above the materials of making art, her daughter looking on. Fragar has been a finalist in the Archibald four times, and burst into tears when Art Gallery of NSW director Maud Page called Friday morning to tell her she had won. "It feels unbelievable, can you imagine? I'm from a small country town originally, I moved to Sydney to go to art school, so to win the Archibald is amazing," Fragar said after the announcement in Sydney. She described the win as an incredible honour and her longtime friend and colleague Williams as an extraordinary artist. "I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her, spinning not quite out of control," the Brisbane artist said. "The work is a reflection on the experience of making art to deadlines and the labour and love of being a mother." The title of the winning work comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand, titled Making do rhymes with poo, about juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. It's the third year in a row a female artist has won the Archibald, making Fragar the 13th woman to win since the prize started in 1921. "Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them," said Page, who was announced in March as the gallery's new director. Fragar conducted a photo session with Williams and spent three months in the studio working on the painting, which she hoped would communicate her subject's singularity and otherworldliness. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with works painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, who made a unanimous decision on Friday. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with a portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams to "honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her". The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and depicts the artist floating among the stars above the materials of making art, her daughter looking on. Fragar has been a finalist in the Archibald four times, and burst into tears when Art Gallery of NSW director Maud Page called Friday morning to tell her she had won. "It feels unbelievable, can you imagine? I'm from a small country town originally, I moved to Sydney to go to art school, so to win the Archibald is amazing," Fragar said after the announcement in Sydney. She described the win as an incredible honour and her longtime friend and colleague Williams as an extraordinary artist. "I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artworks that seems always to be exploding from her, spinning not quite out of control," the Brisbane artist said. "The work is a reflection on the experience of making art to deadlines and the labour and love of being a mother." The title of the winning work comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand, titled Making do rhymes with poo, about juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. It's the third year in a row a female artist has won the Archibald, making Fragar the 13th woman to win since the prize started in 1921. "Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them," said Page, who was announced in March as the gallery's new director. Fragar conducted a photo session with Williams and spent three months in the studio working on the painting, which she hoped would communicate her subject's singularity and otherworldliness. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with works painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, who made a unanimous decision on Friday. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW.
West Australian
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Archibald Prize 2025: Brisbane artist Julie Fragar wins for portrait of ‘dear friend' Justene Williams
Brisbane-based artist Julie Fragar has won the Archibald Prize, one of the most prestigious art accolades in Australia. Fragar's portrait of artist Justene Williams, titled Flagship Mother Multiverse, was chosen unanimously this morning by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and announced at lunchtime. She is the third woman in a row to win the Archibald, following Julia Gutman in 2023 and Laura Jones in 2024. The prize money is $100,000 and Fragar was selected from a field of 904 entries and 57 finalists. She has been a finalist three times previously. Fragar said she chose to paint Williams 'for three reasons, she's a dear friend, (is) a great artist and to capture her other worldliness'. The work was painted in grayscale, and depicts Williams as floating among the stars. 'You work your whole career imagining this might happen one day,' Fragar added. 'Thinking back to myself as a 17-year-old showing up at the Sydney College of the Arts, a kid from country New South Wales, it's incredible to think I have won the Archibald Prize. 'To be the winner of the Archibald Prize is a point of validation. It means so much to have the respect of my colleagues at the Art Gallery. It doesn't get better than that.' Art Gallery director Maud Page said of Fragar's work, ''Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them. Julie Fragar has a sumptuous ability to transcend reality and depict her subjects technically but also psychologically. 'Justene Williams is a larger-than-life character, a performer – cacophonous and joyous. In this work, she is surrounded by her own artworks and, most important of all, her daughter Honore as a tiny figure atop a sculpture. It speaks to me as a powerful rendition of the juggle some of us perform as mothers and professionals.' This year's finalists have included portraits of actors Nicole Kidman and Felix Cameron, comedian Aaron Chen, former Australian of the Year winner Grace Tame, and radio personality Jackie Henderson. One finalist, Mathew Calandra, painted a self-portrait of himself as Freddy Kreuger, the villainous character from Nightmare on Elm Street. The Archibald, established in 1921, awards portraits and previous winners have included Vincent Namatjira, Del Kathryn Barton, Tim Storrier, Ben Quilty, John Olsen and Brett Whiteley. The $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, was awarded to Jude Rae for the oil-on-linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. - With AAP
The Advertiser
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Julie Fragar's black and white portrait wins Archibald
Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with her portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams. The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and is painted in grayscale, showing the artist floating among the stars. The title comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand - Making do rhymes with poo - about the labour of juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with entries painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with her portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams. The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and is painted in grayscale, showing the artist floating among the stars. The title comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand - Making do rhymes with poo - about the labour of juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with entries painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with her portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams. The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and is painted in grayscale, showing the artist floating among the stars. The title comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand - Making do rhymes with poo - about the labour of juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with entries painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW. Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with her portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams. The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and is painted in grayscale, showing the artist floating among the stars. The title comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand - Making do rhymes with poo - about the labour of juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with entries painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Julie Fragar's black and white portrait wins Archibald
Julie Fragar has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize with her portrait of fellow artist Justene Williams. The winning work is titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), and is painted in grayscale, showing the artist floating among the stars. The title comes from Williams' recent endurance performance in New Zealand - Making do rhymes with poo - about the labour of juggling a day job with art making and motherhood. The winner was selected from 903 entries and 57 finalists, with entries painted in the past year from at least one live sitting. The award, widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious art prize, is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Jude Rae has won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or sculpture, for the oil on linen work Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The $40,000 Sulman Prize for genre painting went to Katoomba-based artist Gene A'Hern for Sky painting, beating a record field of 732 entries. Maud Page, who was announced in March as the new director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has congratulated all of the artists who entered the 2025 awards. For the first time in 2025, women artists made up the majority of finalists in each of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize competitions. Earlier in May, the $3000 Packing Room Prize selected by the gallery's art handling staff went to Abdul Abdullah for a portrait of his friend Jason Phu. The finalists for all three prizes will be on show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday until August 17, before touring Victoria and NSW.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The powerful portraits that didn't make the Archibald Prize cut
Entering the Art Gallery of NSW's Archibald Prize for artist Rodney Pople is akin to surrendering yourself for public execution. For his self-portrait, Jesus, Pople has been spared the media spectacle, having missed out on the final cut of this year's $100,000 prize, due to be announced on Friday. But his painterly work has been selected for the Salon des Refusés, at Sydney's S.H Ervin Gallery, an exhibition of second chances which has run alongside the Archibald Prize since 1992. Pople's Jesus riffs on his 2008 Archibald Prize entry, showing him kneeling before the sandstone edifice of the Art Gallery of NSW surrendering to a row of gun-carrying soldiers in high heels. Pople had been on a long drive in the southern states of America last October when he turned the corner to see a huge yellow sign with Jesus on it. 'I nearly ran off the road it was so powerful.' Loading His work also takes inspiration from Francisco Goya's The Third of May 1808 painted in 1814. 'Too many artists are playing it too safe. I feel art should have a licence to be on the edge, and that's what the Jesus sign is saying.' Top of mind was Creative Australia's sacking of Khaled Sabsabi in February as Australia's Venice Biennale representative, a decision Pople, a winner of the Sulman Prize, describes as 'dreadful'. 'They should never have caved in to censorship,' he says.
