The Art Gallery of New South Wales has announced the winners of the 11th annual Young Archie competition, a nation-wide portrait challenge that encourages children and young people towards creative expression.
The Young Archie 2023 exhibition is free and on display now at the Art Gallery alongside the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2023.
Inspired by Australia’s most-loved portrait prize, the Archibald Prize, the Young Archie competition invites young artists aged five to 18 to submit a portrait of someone who is special to them and plays a special role in their life.
The Young Archie 2023 competition winners for each age category were announced recently during a special ceremony for families held at the Art Gallery. The winners are
- 5-8 years category: Phoebe Raft, 8, Terrigal, NSW, for her self-portrait
- 9-12 years category: Toby Lopata, 9, Elsternwick, VIC, for his portrait of his grandpa
- 13-15 years category: Jasmine Guy, 15, Oatley, NSW, for her portrait of her friend
- 16-18 years category: Lily Hobbs, 17, Kedron, QLD, for her portrait of her aunt
The Young Archie 2023 competition surpassed last year’s record number of entries by over 1000, with more than 3400 artworks received from right across Australia in 2023. This year’s guest judge, Meriam Mer artist Grace Lillian Lee selected 70 finalists.
Grace Lillian Lee said: ‘I feel incredibly honoured to have the privilege to see first-hand these artists from across the nation wanting to be part of the Young Archies.’
‘Reading their stories and learning more about the people that they’re depicting in these portraits is so incredibly powerful and inspiring. It was a really difficult process to decide on the finalists with so much visible talent. To narrow down such an amazing array of works to a group of finalists and then to select just four winners was really exciting but challenging!’ said Lee.
Since 2013, the Young Archie competition has been part of the family program for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition at the Art Gallery. It is now a widely recognised nationwide portrait challenge encouraging children and young people to express their creativity.
The four winners each receive a cash prize of $200 from ANZ, an art hamper from S&S Creative, a family pass to a paid exhibition at the Art Gallery and an Archibald Prize 2023 catalogue. The remaining finalists will each receive an art pack from S&S Creative, a cash prize of $50 from ANZ and an Archibald Prize 2023 catalogue.
Featured image : Young Archie 2023 competition winners at the Art Gallery of NSW announcement. Left to right – Jasmine Guy, Phoebe Raft, Lily Hobbs and Toby Lopata. Pic AGNSW/Christopher Snee