The ultimate selfie wins Archibald
MELBOURNE artist Yvette Coppersmith has become the 10th woman to win the Archibald Prize.
In a unanimous decision by the judges, the five-time finalist of the famous competition was awarded the top prize of $100,000 at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney yesterday.
“I would like to start by saying I want to channel the original inspiration for this portrait, which was the Right Honourable New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. I think she would have worn this colour,” said Coppersmith, who was wearing a burgundy floorlength coat.
The oil painting, named after the 1927 Archibald winner George Lambert, and a favourite of Coppersmith’s, was significant to her.
She revealed the first painting she ever did was an oil painting in front of a mirror in a school classroom.
Among the 56 other finalists were Jamie Preisz’s Packing Room prize-winning portrait of rocker Jimmy Barnes, Mathew Lynn’s portrait of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Anne Middleton’s portrait of actor Guy Pearce. There were also 21 self-portraits.
The announcement comes two months earlier than last year.
As well as the Archibald Prize, several other awards were announced.
The Wynne Prize of $50,000 for best landscape painting or figure sculpture went to WA indigenous artist Yukultji Napangati, and the Sulman Prize of $40,000, for the best genre painting, subject painting or mural project, was awarded to indigenous artist Kaylene Whiskey.
A new award was also introduced — the Roberts Family Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders prize of $10,000 to an indigenous finalist in the Wynne Prize.
The inaugural award went to 95-year-old artist Wawiriya Burton.
The Archibald Prize regional tour comes to the Geelong Gallery from September 22 to November 18.