$100,000 Archibald Prize 2022

The premier prize for portraiture in Australia is The Archibald Prize - which has a first prize of $100,000.

Interestingly it's not the one which has always had the biggest prize pot (the Doug Moran Portrait Prize has been bigger in the past)  but it's certainly the one which attracts international comment.

The Archibald Prize for portrait painting is the country’s favourite and most significant art award. Since 1921, it has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes, reflecting back to us the stories of our times.

Portraits have to be submitted with a signed statement from the sitter confirming that they have done at least one sitting with the artist. A rule which seems a very sensible one to me and one which could be introduced into some other portrait competitions to relieve us of the "I only paint from photos" cadre of portrait painters. 

I like to keep an eye on it as every year (see list of previous posts below) it produces ground-breaking interpretations of what contemporary portraiture should look like. I can't quite work out whether this is because 

• EITHER all the finalists are people living in Australia 
• OR the Judges of major Portrait Prizes elsewhere in the world have a much more conventional idea of what contemporary portraiture should look like

If the (bound to have a new sponsor) Portrait Prize which will presumably at some stage exhibit again at the National Portrait Gallery in London wants a "refresh" then it could do a lot better than import the Judges of the Archibald Prize to settle the question.....

That said I'm a little underwhelmed by the finalists in this year's exhibition - and while there are a significant number that are "different", there's very few which stand out as being a cut above.

Here's a couple which do. 

Portrait of Peter Wegner by Hong Fu
oil on canvas, 152.7 x 152.7 cm

Wegner and Fu have known each other for 20 years. ‘We both live in Nillumbik Shire in Victoria and Peter’s wife works in an art supply shop near my home. They sometimes come to my studio and exhibitions, so he trusts me and was happy to be my sitter,’ says Fu.

I selected this one on the basis it was one which made me want to look closer. How was I to know it was OF last year's winner - but I'm pleased to know that my "I can spot a winner" eye still works. ;)

The Archibald Prize 2022

The Archibald Prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, 'preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.

In effect, it's like saying here's someone who should be memorialised via portraiture as a distinguished Australia who doesn't play sport.

This one caught my eye - and I liked the concept used for this portrayal - based in both relevant culture and art history of both sitter and artist.

Yumi Stynes as onna-musha (female samurai) by Yoshio Honjo

natural earth pigments on handmade washi paper

97 x 66 cm

Yumi Stynes is a second-generation Japanese–Australian. She is an author, broadcaster, television presenter, food fanatic, fitness enthusiast and mother of four. Her podcast Ladies, we need to talk, a focus on women’s health and social issues, airs on ABC Radio.

There were 816 entries from Australian artists for this prize - worth 

Of these 

• 20 entries were from Aboriginal artists
• 52 portraits were selected for the exhibition

You can see the works in the exhibition on this page of the AGNWS website. There's no slideshow; it's on of those really irritating click the pic to see a bigger image and then click out again to get back to the finalists page where you then move to the next one you fancy a closer look at. I do wish we got a slideshow of the larger images as an option.....

You can also get an insight into what some of the entries look like in this Guardian picture article - 
Archibald prize 2022 finalists: Benjamin Law, Helen Garner, Taika Waititi and more – in pictures

The Archibald Prize 2022 Exhibition is being held, as always, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (in Sydney) between 14th May and 28th August 2022.

The winner will be announced tomorrow (13th May). You can even watch 

Watch the livestream of the winners announcement from 12 noon on Friday 13 May.

Just bear in mind that's 3am on Friday morning in London!

The Packing Room Prize

The Packing Room Prize is a $3000 cash prize awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries, including head packer Brett Cuthbertson, who holds 52 percent of the vote.

The Packing Room Prize has already been selected and you can see the quasi 3D winner below

Taika Waititi by Claus Stangl

acrylic on canvas

245 x 195.1 cm

Previous posts about the Archibald Prize

• Peter Wegner wins $100,000 Archibald Prize 2021
• Tony Costa wins $100,000 Archibald Prize 2019
• The Archibald Prize 2017 - Selected Artists and the winner
• "Australian Artist Guy Maestri has won the prestigious $50,000 Archibald Prize with his large portrait of blind Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu" in 15th March 2009 - Who's made a mark this week?
• Second Archibald Prize for Del Kathryn Barton
• Finalists for The Archibald Prize 2013 + The Packing Room Prize
• Tim Storrier wins the $75,000 Archibald Prize 2012
• Finalists for The Archibald Prize 2012 + The Packing Room Prize
• Ben Quilty's portrait of Margaret Olley wins 2011 Archibald Prize