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The 2024 Archibald Prize finalists have just been announced, with striking portraits of familiar faces like Matilda’s player Cortnee Vine and professor Marcia Langton AO among the shortlist.
This year marks the 103rd year of the prestigious portrait prize, with just 57 works selected from the 1005 entries submitted to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
One of these finalists is Northern Rivers–based artist Matt Adnate, whose spray-painted artwork of Yolŋu artist Baker Boy was awarded the $3000 Packing Room Prize.
Each year, the Packing Room Prize is awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries — a tradition that dates back to the early ’90s.
‘Packing Room pickers’ Timothy Dale, Monica Rudhar and Alexis Wildman were drawn to ‘Rhythms of heritage’ for its use of vivid colours and grand scale, reminiscent of Matt’s renown street murals.
It shows Baker Boy staring into the distance with a reflection of the Arnhem Land landscape in his eyes, symbolising the profound connection between his cultural heritage and his artistic narrative.
‘Matt’s powerful portrait encapsulates Baker Boy as the inspirational Indigenous storyteller that he is, mirroring the joy and hope that his music brings to the world,’ Monica says.
Many finalists also chose to highlight similarly influential young Australians in their work. Eliza Bertwistle painted sexual consent activist Chanel Contos, while Jessie Bourke’s ‘Different, not less’ showcases Heartbreak High actress and disability rights activist Chloé Hayden.
Other favourites from the shortlist include Mia Boe’s surrealist depiction of presenter Tony Armstrong, Camellia Morris’s portrait of Blue Wiggle Anthony Field in gunslinging cowboy pose, and a painting of Missy Higgins by her older sister, Nicola Higgins.
The winner will be announced Friday 7 June and will take home a $100,000 prize.
The finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes will be showing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 8 June—8 September.
