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.
This year’s Archibald prize winner is Julia Gutman for her portrait, Head in the sky, feet on the ground of singer-songwriter Montaigne.
The Wynne Prize is awarded to the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture, while the Sulman Prize is given to the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media.
This year’s Wynne Prize winner is Zaachariaha Fielding with his painting titled Inma.
This year’s Sulman Prize winner is Doris Bush Nungarrayi with her painting titled Mamunya Ngalyananyi (Monster coming).
Each year, the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales judge the Archibald and Wynne, and invite an artist to judge the Sulman.
Visit the exhibition by 6 August to vote for your favourite portrait in the ANZ People’s Choice award before entries close, and see the work of budding artists aged 5–18 on display from the Young Archie portrait competition. For families, there are also a children’s trail and labels.
The Young Archie competition is amazing year after year and so inspiring to see young artists doing so well. In its 11th year, the number of entries in the Young Archie competition leapt from 2400-plus in 2022 to a new record of over 3400.
Finalists are exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW, from 6 May to 3 September 2023. Honourable mentions are displayed at the SH Ervin Gallery, from 6 May to 23 July 2023 alongside the Salon des Refusés. For more details head here.
