Senior Pitjantjatjara artist Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin has been announced as the winner of the annual acquisitive Hadley’s Art Prize 2022 – Australia’s richest landscape prize worth $100,000 – for her work titled Antara. Goodwin is the first woman to win the major prize since its inception in 2017. 

Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin’s work Antara depicts the ancient storyline of Maku Tjukurpa, or Witchetty Grub story, from Mimili, an Anangu community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the north west of South Australia. Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin captures the vast, arid landscape of Antara, a sacred ceremonial site northwest of Mimili community characterised by rounded granite hills, low scrub and sandplains. 

Winning artist Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin said: “I paint the Antara storyline, the Witchetty Grub Tjukurpa. It’s a very old story from a long time ago that I was taught when I moved to Mimili as a young girl. Now I look after it and teach it to the children. The Witchetty Grub story is a big ceremony. There are three deep rock holes where we go and lots of songs associated with this place. I love to sing them when I paint, sharing them with my granddaughters and friends.”

This year’s winning work was selected from a finalist group of 35 works by a panel of judges including Australian Waanyi artist Judy Watson, Dr Mary Knights, Senior Curator of Art at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and Wayne Tunnicliffe, Head Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

The judges said of the winning work: “Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin’s ‘Antara’ is an incredibly resolved work of art and works so well as a whole. The colour palette is fascinating – the colours push and pull across the painting. The work generates movement. You can imagine the artist singing; it’s almost like a performative work. There is strong cultural integrity. The Tjukurpa resonates through the work. It is multilayered with a rich narrative that  is important to her and her community. There is a diversity of brushstrokes and mark-making in a distinctive, raw, and energetic way. This powerful painting is full of life.” 

Dr Amy Jackett, Curator of the Hadley’s Art Prize said: “The Hadley’s Art Prize is a truly amazing recognition of artistic achievement. The exhibition of finalists brings a diverse range of landscape artworks by emerging and established artists together in a historically-rich art space right in the heart of the Hobart CBD. This year the judges were unanimous in their decision on the winning work, praising it as exuberant, confident, and energetic.” 

Alongside the major prize, the Residency Prize valued at $10,000 was awarded to Darwin-based artist Max Bowden for her work titled And a nice day was really had by all. The Residency prize is presented by Hadley’s sister property, the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, Salamanca Arts Centre and Artery and includes a one month artist residency aimed at supporting an emerging artist. 

The $1000 Packing Room Prize was awarded to Tasmanian-based artist Catherine Woo for her work titled A moment in the day and the Student Prize worth $500 went to 18 year old local Tasmanian artist Adam Howell. 

Of this year’s exhibition, Wayne Tunnicliffe, 2022 Hadley’s Art Prize Judge, said: “There is great diversity and quality in the finalists’ exhibition – among the artists, the materials, and the stylistic approaches. It was a delight to see the high number of Tasmanian artists selected as finalists – Tasmania’s unique and bold landscape is producing some great artists.” 

The Finalists Exhibition will be on display from 23 July to 21 August 2022. Artworks are available for sale and entry to the exhibition is free to the public. 

LIST OF FINALISTS 

Alec Baker (SA) 

Lorraine Biggs (TAS) 

Camelia Blitner (NSW) 

Max Bowden (NT) 

Harrison Bowe (TAS) 

Pat Brassington (TAS) 

Wayne Brookes (TAS) 

Jane Burton (VIC) 

Katjarra Butler (NT) 

Faridah Cameron (TAS) 

Belinda Casey (TAS) 

Ken Done (NSW) 

Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin (SA) Alice Guinness (WA) 

Neil Haddon (TAS) 

Michelle Holmes (NT) 

Mylene Holroyd (QLD) 

Kate Lewis (VIC) 

Sue Lovegrove (TAS) 

Jennifer Marshall (TAS) 

Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty (NSW) 

Paul Miller (NSW) 

Milan Milojevic (TAS) 

Anne Morrison (TAS) 

Martin Rek (TAS) 

Adrian Jangala Robertson (NT) 

Amanda Seacombe (SA) 

Melissa Smith (TAS) 

Umatji Tanya Tjapalyi (SA) 

Mary Tonkin (VIC) 

Alex Wanders (TAS) 

Nat Ward (NSW) 

Bugai Whyoulter (WA) 

Catherine Woo (TAS) 

Michelle Pulatuwayu Minnapinni Woody (NT)