The Percivals 2022 by Townsville City Council

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Published on the occasion of

THE PERCIVALS 2022 23 April – 3 July 2022

Galleries Team Jo Lankester Chloe Lindo Leo Valero Michael Favot Rachel Cunningham Jonathan Brown Ashleigh Peters Tanya Tanner Caitlin Dobson Veerle Janssens Sascha Millard Katya Venter Wren Moore Danielle Walker Deanna Nash Abbigail Thomas Christine Teunon Sue Drummond Emma Hanson

Creative Director (acting) Curatorial Assistant Exhibitions Officer Exhibitions Assistant Senior Education and Programs Officer Education and Programs Officer Education and Programs Officer Senior Public Art Officer Public Art Officer Collection Registration Officer Gallery Assistant Gallery Assistant Gallery Assistant Business Trainee Team Leader Business Support Business Support Officer Business Support Officer Business Support Officer Business Support Officer

Major Sponsor Publisher

Pack & Send Townsville

Galleries, Townsville City Council PO Box 1268 Townsville QLD 4810 Australia galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au ©Galleries, Townsville City Council, and the respective artists and/or authors 2022

Image cover left Brett CANET-GIBSON

Image cover right Philip DAVID

Kira-Che [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

Artist, Bob Landt [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm

ISBN: 978-0-949461-54-4

Publication design

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery

Brandsmith Studio

Cnr Denham and Flinders St, Townsville QLD 4810

(07) 4727 9011

Organised by

Tue–Fri: 10am–5pm

whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au

Townsville City Galleries

Sat–Sun: 10am–1pm

Townsville City Galleries

galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au

Townsville City Council acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun, Bindal, Gugu Badhun and Nywaigi as the Traditional Owners of this land. We pay our respects to their cultures, their ancestors and their Elders – past and present – and all future generations.

CONTENTS

Foreword

A note from the Mayor

Award Categories

Selection Panel Members

Judges

Finalists

Percival Programs Follow us (inside back cover)

422

THE PERCIVALS 2022

FOREWORD

The biennial Percival Portrait Painting Prize is North Queensland's premier portrait competition. Having begun in 2007, initiated by Gallery Director Frances Thomson, it has developed to incorporate Photography in 2014 under the curatorship of Shane Fitzgerald as Gallery Director shown as separate exhibitions across both Townsville Galleries, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Pinnacles Gallery. The Percival Painting and Photography prizes were combined into one premier exhibition showcased across two floors of the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in 2020 by Creative Director Jonathan McBurnie. It continues to be displayed in this format as the premier portrait prize of Northern Australia. The 2022 exhibition comprises 203 artworks by 167 local and national artists celebrating the long-standing art form of portraiture. Congratulations to all the artists who were selected for inclusion in the exhibition. I would like to thank the selection panels and judges, Professor Elizabeth Findlay and Dr Carl Warner, two Queensland based art practitioners and educators apt in judging the 2022 Percival prizes. My thanks are also extended to Galleries staff who have worked incredibly hard to bring this exhibition to the public, and we look forward to celebrating with a street party and live stream for the nation to participate in the celebrations. Jo Lankester Galleries Director (Acting) Townsville City Galleries

A NOTE FROM THE MAYOR

THE PERCIVALS 2022

On its fifteenth anniversary The Percivals has called on academics, artists and Archibald Prize finalists to shortlist the prize’s exhibition and judge the winning works. The biennial portrait prize spans across the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize and the Percival Animal Portrait Prize. Every two years Townsville City Council welcomes hundreds of submissions from Townsville, across Australia and overseas. We received 340 entries offering unique and moving perspectives on a diverse spread of subjects for the 2022 prize. This high number of entries shows the national and international significance of The Percivals and reflects Townsville’s reputation as the arts and culture capital of Northern Australia. Our shortlisting selection panel for the Painting Prize this year included Heritage Museums Galleries consultant Ross Searle, Archibald Prize Finalist Jun Chen and JCU Academic Board Chair Professor Stephen Naylor, while the Photographic Prize was shortlisted by photographer Andrew Rankin and visual art and photography teacher Christina Papadimitriou. Our Painting Prize judge this year was Griffith University Queensland College of Art director Professor Elisabeth Findlay and our Photographic Prize judge was artist, photographer and lecturer Dr Carl Warner. I’d like to thank all of our panel and judges for their expertise in shortlisting and awarding the $40,000 painting and $10,000 photographic prizes. Congratulations to the artists who have delivered such a high calibre of work – I’m looking forward to visiting the exhibition and enjoying each portrait. Jenny Hill Mayor of Townsville

AWARD CATEGORIES Percival Portrait Painting Prize

$40,000 (acquisitive) Percival Photographic Portrait Prize

$10,000 (acquisitive) Pack and Send Townsville People’s Choice Award, Painting

$1,000 Pack and Send Townsville People’s Choice Award, Photographic

$1,000

THE PERCIVALS 2022

SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS Painting Prize Panel

Ross Searle

Jun Chen

Professor Stephen Naylor

Heritage Museums Galleries consultant

Artist, Archibald Prize Finalist

Ross Searle has worked in key positions in regional galleries in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales since 1982. During his most recent directorship at the University of Queensland Art Museum, he established a new gallery in a $10 million refurbished venue. Ross Searle also implemented the Art Museum’s development of a National Collection of Artists’ Self Portraits and a biennial self-portraiture prize.

Born in China, Chen now lives in Brisbane. He normally paints figurative and landscape. He has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize on nine occasions, in the Sulman Prize five times, and in the Wynne Prize five times. In addition, his portrait of late Sydney art dealer, Ray Hughes, was highly commended by the judges in the 2017 Archibald Prize.

Chair Academic Board, James Cook University, Australia

Previously he was the Director of the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville, a position he held for ten years, which saw the Gallery rise to national prominence due to its dynamic exhibition program and the consolidation of its extensive collections. He has made a national and international contribution to the development of many significant exhibitions and publications. In 2007 he established a specialist consultancy, and his clients include national and international art museums.

Chen graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in China in 1986 and has a Master of Fine Art from the Queensland University of Technology in 1996. Chen migrated to Australia in 1990. His work is collected by Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Portrait Gallery, Parliament House, Museum of Brisbane, Townsville City Galleries, Gold Coast Art Gallery, Logan Art Gallery, Guanshanyue Museum China, the University of Queensland Art Gallery, QUT Museum and many private Australian and international collectors.

Professor Stephen Naylor has been an active participant in education, learning & teaching, and the creative arts for more than 40 years. Currently, he is Chair of the Academic Board of James Cook University (JCU) and serves on a number of Boards including the Advisory Board for TEQSA Panel of Experts Australia. As a Board member, he provides expertise on governance, contemporary art in a global context and a strong understanding of both community art and art training in tertiary education. His creative arts background drove his professional practice for more than 20 years where he worked in the area of furniture design, alternative building mediums, painting and contemporary sculpture. Since that time he has focused on research into Australian contemporary creative arts and international exhibition platforms.

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Photographic Prize Panel

Andrew Rankin

Christina Papadimitriou

Photographer, Andrew Rankin Photography

Visual Art and Photography Teacher, Founder of Wearable Art Creatives

Andrew Rankin has worked as a photographer for over 40 years in Melbourne, Sydney, and North Queensland. Photographic assignments have taken him all over Australia along with New Zealand, Asia, USA, and Africa. He is a passionate supporter of the arts and his work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Rankin has also worked as a sessional lecturer at James Cook University and has presented several photographic workshops to the public.

Passionate about education and providing opportunities for emerging photographers, Christina Papadimitriou established a fully-equipped photography studio at her local high school for her students to utilise. She has since led school and community projects that have achieved recognition for the authentic real-life experiences they offer participants to build confidence in their art and photography skills. With over 30 years experience exhibiting her own work, Papadimitriou’s focus is now on developing arts projects that inspire people of all ages and abilities to express their creativity through multidisciplinary arts events that engage the wider community.

THE PERCIVALS 2022

PERCIVAL PRIZE JUDGES Painting Prize Judge

Professor Elisabeth Findlay Director of Queensland College of Art

Professor Elisabeth Findlay is the Director of Queensland College of Art (QCA) at Griffith University. She is an art historian with a longstanding passion and interest in portraiture. Her research focuses on issues surrounding portraiture and the complexities of identity. She has published widely on Australian colonial portraiture. She currently teaches a course at QCA on the history and theories of portraiture, tracing the development of the genre from Antiquity through to the contemporary era. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a freelance curator and writer including working with the National Portrait Gallery and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Photographic Prize Judge

Dr. Carl Warner Artist, photographer and lecturer

Dr Carl Warner is an artist, photographer and lecturer based in Brisbane. He is well-known for his abstract compositions and photographic assemblages derived from urban surfaces, the materiality of public space and the contested spaces of landscape. Warner uses the camera to record the detail he observes in the urban, industrial and natural environment, and does so in a way which renders this surface reality abstract. Carl completed a Ph.D. researching visual systems such as the Claude glass, camera lucida and camera obscura, used to aid the drawn and painted pre-photographic representation of landscape and illustration of the natural sciences.

FINALISTS

PHOTOGRAPHIC 17

THE PERCIVALS 2022

William AINGER Add to cart [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 42 x 59.4 cm

About the work

About the artist

A nude, gay man sits on a Dan Murphy’s trolley. The flames of his frustrations are close by. Single and hurtling towards his mid-40s. Isolated, in and out of COVID-19 lockdowns. His sexual urges fleeting while motivation comes and goes. Health and wellbeing on a roller coaster ride. But there is hope as the light shines towards him. This full-bodied red hasn’t yet soured. Self-portrait.

I have over 20 years professional experience in art and design. I am creative director and graphic designer of Ainger Creative which operates in Melbourne’s west. Ainger Creative is a boutique graphic design studio which was formed in 2015. It specialises in producing innovative marketing material for clients that excites and challenges them. Services include art direction, graphic design, photography and illustration, for print and digital. My photographic work, outside of the business, embodies a broad spectrum of content. I’m often shooting street scenes and architecture, or producing a conceptual studio image. Playing with light to create dramatic effects and bold colours is a particular interest. My work has been shown in many group exhibitions in various places of Australia.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 19

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christopher ALLERY Oliver [detail] 2021 Fine art digital photographic print 84.1 x 59.4 cm

About the work

About the artist

Oliver, a young queer Chinese man living in Melbourne (Australia) had a complicated emotional response because I found him elegant and wanted to celebrate his beauty. He was confronted by the idea of his own aesthetic validity, when in both gay and mainstream culture Eurocentric ideas of male beauty remain.

Allery is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Naarm/ Melbourne (Australia). His practice consists of photography, short fiction and performance. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film Production) from the Queensland University of Technology. Storytelling is at the crutch of Allery’s practice. Through the use of photography, Allery focuses on capturing the atmosphere tethered to physical spaces, melding autobiography with fiction. Subjects are individuals that are part of his social fabric. Willing Participants who play roles in open-end narratives.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 21

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Riste ANDRIEVSKI Lucy Culliton [detail] 2021 Digital photography 54 x 87 cm

About the work

About the artist

Lucy Culliton is an Australian Artist whose work has included images depicting her life, including many portraits of the animals that she raised. This portrait is part of a series I’m working on, A Landscape of Australian Artist. The series is about taking artist portraits and documenting our landscape of artists that are capturing and documenting our identity as a nation through art. Artists through history have always told the story through art for future generation and has been the common ground for humans to understand our history through their eyes. This is my visual diary of the artists telling our story of contemporary Australia.

As a photographer, my background in printmaking underlies the strong graphic expressiveness in my art practice. Originally a graphic reproducer in prepress, I moved towards working as a traditional film photographer, creating reproductions in print through film. Photography allows me to tell a story using a pictorial narrative. I am able to capture moments in our ever fast moving world and record it using powerful graphic qualities. Photography has been introduced in my practice through my formal training, it also was present with the work I had did in Pre-press Graphic Reproduction. The graphic medium is so powerful and moving in an ever-fast-moving world we live in, to be able to capture moments at the growing rate it moves.

PAINTING 23

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Katerina APALE 2020, 2021... [detail] 2022 Oil on linen 117 x 112 cm

About the work

About the artist

As an artist, I was unable to just step to the side, and watch from the sidelines what was happening in the world; all of it was right here, on my doorstep.

Every painterly form I create is a story that arises as part of my lived experience, filtered through my fantasy and imagination. Thus, every form on my canvas carries a part of me. My work reflects the importance of being in the moment - feeling, experiencing and being aware of the “here and now”. At times, I move away from the richly saturated colours into a more pastel, toneddown palette in order to achieve more subtle and refined combinations. I tend not to adhere to a strictly defined style - my work is always expressive, graphic, ornamental and well-balanced.

It was more so apparent to me how much everything had changed, as my kids stayed back home each day staring at the magic box that would emit light and sound. It was even harder on teens, when you are supposed to explore and enjoy life. I depicted my son, for even though his feelings are unique, he is stuck in the same storm as millions of other teenagers. Sitting on the bed, drawing him in person was perfect since he sat still, focused on the online lessons. He said that “In times like these, everything seems dull and bleak; you have to look deep within yourself to find that warmth and bring out the happy thoughts.”

My move to Australia in 2014 marked a new beginning in my career as an artist. The extraordinary beauty of Australian native flora and fauna was a new and overwhelming sensory experience. Education

The Art Academy of Latvia, Master of Arts Degree, Fine Arts, Visual Plastic (Textile Art), Riga, Latvia.

PAINTING 25

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rebecca ARMSTRONG Catgirl Dreams of Treats [detail] 2022 Oil on linen 40 x 30 cm

About the work

About the artist

A portrait of a child has the power to provoke an intensified sense of the fleeting and transitory, as a child naturally exists in a state of imminent and constant change.

Rebecca Armstrong is a Melbourne based artist. In 2021 she completed a Diploma of Visual Art at Northern College of Arts and Technology. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne with majors in Cultural Studies and Fine Arts and a graduate diploma in Arts Management. She works as a producer in the performing arts, collaborating with a range of artists in varied creative projects. In 2021 she was a finalist in the Prospect Portrait Prize and exhibited in the Linden Postcard show and Brunswick Street Gallery Small Works. Her visual arts practice is informed by a longstanding fascination with craft and the handmade.

The child in this painting (my own child) takes part in an ordinary suburban ritual of trick or treat in a rudimentary costume. Dress-up and playfulness wrestle with a sense of melancholy and fragility. The Cat Girl is in a twilight zone between day and night, where she is both ordinary and other worldly, familiar but ethereal, real but dreamlike.

PAINTING 27

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Linda ARMSTRONG Emma [detail] 2021 Oils 78 x 70 cm

About the work

About the artist

The subject was travelling and working overseas when cut short by COVID-19. I chose a pose that demonstrated acceptance and resignation. She is resigned to her plight but has that inner confidence that her present life is only temporary. Surrounding the portrait are heavy frames, dark tones with sharp edges indicating the restrictions and borders that engulf her as a physiotherapist in a busy hospital. I chose green as a background colour to further depict control and confinement. The far window represents a life of travel and excitement, using dreamlike symbols to indicate those distant memories. The windows are becoming more vacant as that reality is disappearing while her everyday life consumes her. Included are Pothos. These plants represent perseverance and chasing dreams. Techniques I incorporated included measured drawing, imprimatura using raw umber, colours from a Zorn and Zadrozny palette and layers of glazing. A floating frame surrounds the finished work.

I am a retired teacher librarian with a Bachelor in Education and Diploma of Teacher Librarianship. I completed many subjects towards a Diploma of Visual Arts, however, was unable to complete the course due to subjects not being offered at night. I’ve lived in Townsville for over 30 years. I’ve completed many art courses with a focus on portrait painting. I’ve had many accomplished art teachers in that time and currently having tuition in classical techniques in portrait painting. I have a Facebook page where I’ve posted my previous works and have displayed works associated with various TAFE courses. I’ve visited many galleries around the world and continue to immerse myself in art.

PAINTING 29

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Lisa ASHCROFT Dads Dementia - Decluttering The Powerhouse Ready For Lease [detail] 2021 Watercolour and inks on 300gms paper 60 x 42 cm

About the work

About the artist

The portrait was created in response of not being able to visit my parents in the UK during the pandemic. The painting was necessary as a personal healing journey in order to accept, understand and connect with my father’s deteriorating mental health, whilst grieving his former life, achievements and person. The portrait is a record of our fractured and bizarre conversations over the last years. I have recorded dad’s ramblings of his childhood and family memories and his life. The portrait is a painful reminder of how a once proud and intellectual man is reduced to a shadow of himself with the vulnerability of a child. The portrait records illustrations of things that are far removed from his previous life and work, yet are of importance now. The paper is purposely upstretched to allow for buckling and rippling, this is a visual metaphor of my father’s buckling mind and body.

Lisa was born in Lancashire, England and attended Post graduate studies at Cyprus College of Art and the School of the Fine Arts, New York. She is often commissioned as an arts therapist to facilitate art workshops with mental health providers and is regularly engaged as a workshop artist for Townsville City Galleries. Lisa has paintings in private collections in the UK, Cyprus, America, Japan and Spain. She has exhibited painting in multiple solo and group shows over the last 20 years, including, London, Manchester, Cyprus, Brisbane, Melbourne. In 2021 Lisa was commissioned by the Townsville City Council Galleries to complete 22 art workshops with school children across Townsville for the 2021 Strand Ephemera group art exhibition. Lisa was selected and exhibited five sculptures for the 2019 Strand Ephemera show. lisaashcroft.com

PAINTING 31

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Elizabeth BARDEN On My Mind - Portrait of Ian Haug [detail] 2020 Oil on linen 60 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Ian Haug is a musician, songwriter, owner of Airlock Studios and Airlock records. He is best known for forming the band Powderfinger straight out of high school. The eventual line-up who performed together from 1992-2010 before splitting became Australian Rock Royalty. Ian now performs with The Church.

Elizabeth Barden is an artist based in Cairns. She is fascinated by people and their stories and compelled to celebrate and give voice to them through her paintings. Highlights include representation in the permanent collection of the Australian National Portrait Gallery, with the portrait of Christine Anu - Waiting For Zipporah. Elizabeth Barden is represented in public collections, group shows nationally and internationally, and two solo exhibitions in the Cairns Gallery. Six times finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, finalist in several other major award exhibitions, including The Lester Prize, The Darling Portrait Prize, The Brisbane Portrait Prize and The Archibald Prize Salon de Refuses. Honoured to be one of 78 women artists to exhibit in Women Painting, All Over the World 2021 at the European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona, and will have digitalised images of two artworks landing in a time capsule on the moon in 2022.

I was fortunate to have a sitting with Ian Haug just prior to lockdowns. If I needed further reference, I have been the neighbour of one of Ian’s older brothers for about 20 years. I try to capture the moments which are not contrived, relaxed and natural. Powderfinger played a special isolation performance One Night Lonely in 2020, which raised $500,000 for Support Act and Beyond Blue. My portrait reflects this time of uncertainty, reflection and resilience for the music industry.

PAINTING 33

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Elizabeth BARDEN TUKUIAP (Sisters) [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 76 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

TUKUIAP means sisters, in the language of the first nation people of the Torres Strait Islands.

Aisha and Tahlia Bowie are twin sisters currently living in Brisbane. Twins make us look more closely at the individual characteristics, and focus on the inner essence. Aisha and Tahlia grew up on Hammond Island and Thursday Island before finishing their schooling in Cairns, alongside my eldest daughter. They undertook further studies in Sydney and established their own fashion label - Bowie Empire, which offers high end street wear with cultural influences from the Torres Strait Islands. They are strong, dignified and proud of their heritage, and enjoy performing traditional dance at family occasions.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 35

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sarah BARKER Covid 17 [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 57 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Jasmin celebrated her seventeenth birthday during COVID-19 level 3 lockdown restrictions.

Sarah Barker makes portrait, social-documentary and street photographs and her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. During her life Sarah has also worked as a volunteer for a number of not-forprofit organisations.

I made this portrait as a commentary on our confinement together and the paradox of being a teenager wanting space but being limited by the pandemic to spend so much time with someone a teenager would normally spend as little time with as possible (i.e. their parent).

Sarah’s photographs have been recognised as finalists in awards, selected for group exhibitions and acquired by the State Library of New South Wales. In 2021 Sarah was winner of the Street Photography category of The Lucie Foundation Guardian Project and in 2013 she was joint winner of Tap Gallery’s Out of my Pocket mobile phone competition and winner of its People’s Choice Award. Sarah Barker lives and works on the unceded land of the Gadigal in Sydney, Australia, where she began her career in a commercial photography studio last century.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 37

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sarah BARKER Joyce [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 30 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

Joyce and Tony are both ninety-two years old and have been married for sixty-seven years. At the beginning of 2021 Joyce had to move from their retirement village to a higher level of Aged Care, for health reasons. It is the first time Tony has ever lived alone. Being separated during long periods of lockdown has been very hard for them. They are both very thankful for the care and support they have received from wonderful Aged Care workers.

The portrait on the door to Joyce’s room was made when she was nineteen years old and working as a film editor for Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Australia) in 1948.

PAINTING 39

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Donna BENINGFIELD Anneke Adorned [detail] 2022 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 152 x 101 cm

About the work

About the artist

Anneke Silver is a renowned artist, art educator and art writer who has made a huge contribution to the art world. Her intrinsic sense of the importance of our seasons and our human imprint on the land is fundamental to her continuing exploration of place. There is a powerful spiritual connection to ancestors and Indigenous cultures in her Goddess figures, although it is also equally present in the meandering line of a river or the colour of the landscape. Ultimately this deep understanding and honouring of her own sense of place in the universe is felt in her unique body of marks. Her portrait reflects a layering of her emotional marks like joy, peace, femininity and completeness as her story will always be best understood and observed through her marks. Just like her ancestors, there is a storyline in her personal journey that remains part of the interconnectedness of life.

I have been a finalist in The Percivals every year since its inception in 2007. My last two solo exhibitions, at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in 2019, and Umbrella Studio in 2021, have resulted in 53 portraits. As I continue to work daily in the genre, I have come to believe that it is not enough to simply paint someone as you see them. I continue to push boundaries to develop new and exciting ways to work with people that encompass many different strategies. Lately I have been encouraging people to express their emotions through marks which I transcribe onto the canvas. My greatest inspiration come from fellow Australian artists such as Rick Amor, Judy Cassab and Heather Betts. I empathise with their treatment of the subject and the themes of isolation, loneliness and the struggle to understand the human predicament that is implicit in their work.

PAINTING 41

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Donna BENINGFIELD We Can’t Be Branded [detail] 2022 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 76 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Jason Downie is part Dutch and part Aboriginal. He is a local resident of Townsville, but grew up in south east Queensland and has spent a great part of his life on a type of walkabout. In more recent years, he put down roots in Townsville, married and adopted two beautiful boys from Taiwan. As a father, he has given these boys all he never knew as a child himself. Through an exploration of emotional mark-making, his marks have been transcribed into this portrait. These may appear as tree like images, huts and birds, but in fact they are his marks of peace, sadness and loss. He, like his ancestors before him, continue to unravel and make sense of his own personal journey and the mysteries of life.

I have been a finalist in The Percivals every year since its inception in 2007. My last two solo exhibitions, at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in 2019, and Umbrella Studio in 2021, have resulted in 53 portraits. As I continue to work daily in the genre, I have come to believe that it is not enough to simply paint someone as you see them. I continue to push boundaries to develop new and exciting ways to work with people that encompass many different strategies. Lately I have been encouraging people to express their emotions through marks which I transcribe onto the canvas. My greatest inspiration comes from fellow Australian artists such as Rick Amor, Judy Cassab and Heather Betts. I empathise with their treatment of the subject and the themes of isolation, loneliness and the struggle to understand the human predicament that is implicit in their work.

PAINTING 43

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Carla BENZIE lighting up change [detail] 2021 Watercolour and pencil 120 x 90 cm

About the work

About the artist

In 2009, Paul de Gelder was attacked by a bull shark while on a Navy training exercise in Sydney Harbour. He lost his arm and his leg. He has now dedicated his life to shark conservation, education and awareness to help save these amazing endangered animals. Shining the light on the things that aren’t seen by people on mainstream media and correcting misinformation about the importance of sharks in our oceans.

I have always found people and portraits fascinating, the stories behind the faces and the way an artwork can tell a story in more ways than one. I enjoy finding subjects to paint and learning more about them as I spend more time listening to their life adventures or events.

PAINTING 45

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Carla BENZIE under pressure [detail] 2021 Watercolour and pencil 90 x 140 cm

About the work

About the artist

Adam Sellars is an Australian freediver, who uses freediving as the instrument to help people deal with the pressures and stresses of everyday life through lessons he’s picked up from the deep, and all on one breath. Adam provides organisations, national sporting teams, schools and individuals with the tools they need to survive and thrive, and ensure that people have the ability to live a life on their own terms and in peace. “I want to show people the power within,” says Sellars. “To show people how to deal with the pressures of life. To show people how much fun they can have in the ocean on just one breath.”

As an artist I am always looking for new ideas and inspirations to paint. Adam had taught me the skill of freediving and that has taken me to places I would have never imagined even seeing or even knowing they exist. He is an inspiration with his story and he helps others with theirs.

The artwork shows the split between everyday life pressures and the release of that through the calmness and concentration through freediving to achieve positive mindfulness and self worth. Adam’s hometown is Townsville, Queensland.

This artwork was a little more challenging to share as so many people in the freediving community know Adam and I wanted to show him in a way that they could also relate to.

PAINTING 47

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Matteo BERNASCONI Contactless [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 70 x 85 cm

About the work

About the artist

A self-portrait as a visual exploration of the fundamental importance of human connection, both physical and emotional.

Matteo Bernasconi has been a finalist in many art awards including the Kilgour Prize, the Mosman Art Prize, the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, and recently high commended at the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award.

A missed hug can be seen as a symbol of the current global situation, this piece comes from a reflection on something that I recently experienced personally. As an Italian residing here I was unable to visit my father who I wasn’t able to support or hug during his last days.

Morphing from figurative to abstraction, Matteo’s work is dynamic and engages the audience on different philosophical levels.

The current pandemic situation have really put us face to face with our demons, making us rethink our lives, perhaps discovering the meaning in things, that we never valued before or we simply took for granted.

His latest work investigates the human conditions, focusing on unveiling something unseen beneath the surface, describing the hidden depths of humans, rather than just the mere physical appearance/façade.

Not only the need to physically be together, but also the need for a shared sense of identity, understanding, and reciprocity, which are often forgotten albeit the base of our existence. These ideals have reemerged as a necessity from this historical period.

He likes to expose what the subject is, not only who the subject is.

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Linda BONE The Matriarch [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 40 x 50 cm

About the work Her eyes sparkle with a life well lived, but not one without pain. Her deep faith in God has led her through the loss of her husband and her battle with breast cancer. She commands a presence, so much so that you lean in to hang off every quietly measured word. A mother of 5. A grandmother of 20. A great grandmother of 15. A fifth generation will arrive in months. An elder ... a matriarch.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 49

PAINTING 51

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Catherine BOREHAM Crown of Glory [detail] 2021 Oil 51 x 41 cm

About the work

About the artist

The first time I met Isabel Warcon was actually at the library in Yeppoon a long time back and now also through 360 Church. This lady instantly stood out to me as someone who cares about other people and makes everyone she meets feel special. I was certainly right and it is a privilege to have spent some time with her whilst creating this portrait. I listened to Isabel’s story and found out that she did not know her full heritage as a young person. Isabel is an Indigenous lady who is of both South Sea and Darumbal heritage. The name Isabel aptly means God is my oath and also beautiful.

I am an artist based in Yeppoon, Queensland and I work in a representational style in acrylics and oils. I work on commissions and I also recently held a solo exhibition in 2021 at Injune in QLD. One of my favorite subjects is portraiture. My most recent awards are as follows. Most of my success in competitions feature portraits. First Prize in the Central Highlands Art Awards, 2020. First Prize in the Springsure Art Awards 2021. Finalist in the Gosford Art Prize in 2021, Finalist in the Kilgour Prize 2021. Finalist in the Queensland Regional Art Awards 2021.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 53

THE PERCIVALS 2022

John BRADSHAW Give them a mask and they will tell you the truth [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 74 x 49 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of a graffiti writer from Europe who was travelling throughout Australia for a ‘spraycation’ tour (painting graffiti while travelling). This writer stayed in Townsville for a few months and inspired my photography of documenting graffiti culture. The Banksy print shirt, is being worn as a mask and is applied using a common technique amongst graffiti writers.

John Bradshaw (b.1987 Australia) is an artist practicing in murals, printmaking, and photography. Graffiti culture, animals, people he has met, and the natural environment inspire John’s art.

This artwork aims to reflect on the anonymity of graffiti artists.

Since completing a Diploma of Visual Arts in 2006, he has created murals for various galleries, festivals and street art projects and has worked as an art workshop facilitator at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 55

THE PERCIVALS 2022

John BRADSHAW Drapl [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 74 x 49 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of Drapl, a prolific graffiti writer and mural artist from Brisbane for over 20 years. Much of Drapl’s work can be found throughout the cities and outback of Australia. One major mural highlights includes the iconic grain silos in the small country town of Thallon QLD, titled the watering hole, which is part of the Australian Silo Art Trail. Painted alongside Joel Fergie, this mural won Best Rural Art, and Best of the Best for the Australian Street Art Awards.

John Bradshaw (b.1987 Australia) is an artist practicing in murals, printmaking, and photography. Graffiti culture, animals, people he has met, and the natural environment inspire John’s art.

Drapl with his talent and commitment, continues to push the boundaries of large scale mural art and explore its potential to uplift and reconnect the communities of Australia.

PAINTING 57

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Alanah Ellen BRAND Brother [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 30 x 20 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of my 27-year-old brother Jake. Jake is my younger brother, he is an electrician and he loves to play basketball. The photograph I painted his portrait from was taken whilst we were having dinner at our mother’s house. We grew up in her house, located in regional Victoria, Australia. I wanted this portrait to encapsulate my brother’s laid back demeanour and the innate kindness he has shown me our entire lives. He smiles subtlety as he looks away from the camera, a hat placed on his head, as he often wears one. He is the epitome of a young male.

My name is Alanah Ellen Brand. I am a contemporary painter, a full-time art teacher and a foster mum. I completed a Masters of Visual Art at Latrobe University in 2018. I also completed 2 courses with Robin Eley in 2019. My time with Robyn at the Art Academy changed my painting practice dramatically. In January 2022 I also completed a painting course with Jess Le Clerc, working with Jess transformed the way I approach my paintings and helped me to created more distinguished painterly gestures within my work. My current series of work explores my life as a woman and the life of the people around me who influence me. My practice explores portraiture in the 21st century, whilst referencing aspects of painting’s history. My mark making method mimics the stylised surfaces seen on photographic portraits. These people, their feelings and thoughts are the core aspect of my practice.

PAINTING 59

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Paula BROUGHTON Fading to grey [detail] 2022 Oil on board 30.5 x 30.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

A self-portrait in my 48th year - which has seen my outward appearance changed dramatically, and has affected my sense of self quite profoundly. Botched skin cancer surgery (on the unseen side of my nose), a drastic haircut and letting my natural grey hair colour grow out, have been adjustments for me and my 9 year old son, who has been quite vocal about the changes.

I am a self-taught, emerging artist who is captivated by the human face and how one chooses to depict such personal and distinctive features. I paint with oil because I adore the texture and manipulative freedom it affords me. Capturing a likeness is important to me, but expressive brushwork gets me excited. I prefer my works to look like a ‘painting’ rather than photo realistic renditions of my sitters.

Coupled with getting older and feeling more invisible, fading into the background, in this image focused world. My husband told me he thought my previous self-portraits had seemed too posed – so for this I wanted a natural state and chose to take a series of selfies whilst engaging in conversation with my son. This image resonated. I have left the background neutral to focus the gaze solely on my subject.

PAINTING 61

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Paula BROUGHTON Fish out of water [detail] 2022 Oil on board 30.5 x 30.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This portrait is of my father on his recent visit to us after COVID-19 restricted travel. We have a difficult and complicated relationship and although vocally supportive of my art to others, does not engage in conversation about my work or truly understand how important it is to me. I persuaded him to visit the recent William T. Cooper exhibit as I know he loves birds, and thought it might be a way for us to connect. The original image is based on a photograph taken in front of the exhibition’s promotional poster. I really liked the juxtaposition of his sun ravaged, handlebar-moustached, wild west looking character with his protective mask (a sign of the times), against the delicate floral backdrop; and in a space that I feel totally comfortable in - and that he is perhaps not. A fish out of water in my world.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 63

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Wayne BUDGE TROY [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Over recent years Australia has lost a number of its high profile music icons including Billy Thorpe, Darryl Cotton (Zoot), Bon Scott (ACDC), Doc Neeson (Angels), Chrissy Amphlett (Divinyls), Michael Hutchence (INXS), Jim Keays (Masters Apprentices), Jon English, and “Greedy Smith” from “Mental As Anything”.

Wayne Budge is a Brisbane photographer whose landscape images have been exhibited in Australia, as well as Europe and the USA. More recently Wayne’s works have been shown at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2018 and 2019, Scope Art Show Miami 2019, Red Dot Miami Art Show 2018, LA Art Show Los Angeles 2019, Art Expo New York 2019, and the Architectural Digest Design Show New York City 2019. Wayne’s work has also been on display in cities such as Munich Germany, Wichita Kansas, and Middlebury Vermont USA.

The development of my photographic exhibition is a continual “work in progress”, and is the result of a personal vision to create a photographically historic record of Australia’s music royalty. Australia’s music scene has been one of the hardest hit during this current pandemic with many artists, roadies, venues, and associated staff losing work due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Troy Cassar-Daley is one of Australia’s iconic country music stars that has also been hit hard with cancellations of gigs and shows, however 2021 has given time for Troy to not only release a new album, but to deeply reflect on all things past, present, and future.

During 2021 Wayne was awarded the Power Of Creativity Art Prize by European art magazine Contemporary Art Curator Magazine. Wayne’s portrait exhibition of Australian and overseas music icons is currently touring throughout regional galleries in Australia.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 65

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Margaret Ellen BURNS No Photos of the Girls [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 50 x 75 cm

About the work

About the artist

There are signs in all venues that have ‘skimpies’ bartenders who wear lingerie - that say No Photos of the Girls - this made me interested in how undocumented the profession is and to find out more about the girls who are a big part of what makes Kalgoorlie known as Australia’s ‘wild west’. According to local historian Timothy Moore, the stories about ‘skimpies’ start in the mid-70s, with the first topless barmaid appearing at the Commercial Hotel in 1977.

I am a portrait photographer currently based in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, and make work about the people around me. The process of learning about the people I work with is what inspires me and my approach is personal.

Ivy entertains the patrons at The Gold Bar for tips. She says “I’m already used to being a barmaid so doing it half-naked is a breeze”. All of the ‘skimpies’ I’ve met here in Kalgoorlie have a unique style. The outfits and performance the girls put on are part of the job - a way to differentiate from the other girls and hopefully make more money in tips.

My first solo show was part of the Head On Festival in 2012, showing portrait series 100 Bedrooms. I continued this work after the show under the title 1000 Bedrooms and in 2014 it was the winner of Pedestrian.TV Blogster award photography category. In 2015 I graduated with First Class Honours at Sydney College of the Arts for work exploring the relationship between the portrait photographer and the sitter. My work has been selected as a finalist in the Olive Cotton Award (2017, 2019). Most recently I exhibited collaboratively with artist Julie Sundberg in This Changes Everything at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in NSW in 2021.

PAINTING 67

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Daniel BUTTERWORTH Fred [brother] as Van Gogh’s postmaster [detail] 2022 House acrylic on cardboard 83 x 63 cm

About the work

About the artist

On visiting my brother were conversing and I looked at Fred and realised the resemblance he has with Van Gogh’s Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin (1841– 1903). As a big fan of Van Gogh’s work I thought the idea of a homage to him was needed, but still wanting to make it my own, as if the postmaster sat for me.

Studied at La Trobe completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the age of 22. Frequently exhibited in mostly Melbourne. Completed a teaching degree and taught art for 13 years. Recently represented by Studio Gallery. I have been a finalist in many prizes including the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Archibald, Doug Moran, Lester Prize and also a semi finalist in the London’s BP portrait award, to name just a few.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 69

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Valissa BUTTERWORTH Academic journey [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 90 x 70 cm

About the work

About the artist

The experience of colour is a bodily affair, the processes that enable its existence within our perception are yet to be fully explained by science. Its uncanny ability to avoid the constraints of language, (“its blue like the sky” comparative measures) have seen it cast out, tied to the feminine due to its links to the body and expelled completely by some architects and artists.

Valissa is a multidisciplinary artist, living and working in regional Victoria whose practice explores the possibilities of process, material and the creation of new spaces.

Where colour requires the body, academia hinges on language, the dissection and control of experiences, thoughts and processes. Its weight is a double edged sword. Embodied experiences are studied until a thorough explanation in language can be determined. We strip the essence of colour, our uncensored encounters, into words to fully ‘understand’ it. This work is 3 years of academia stripping the vibrant, energetic properties of colour from the body to expose the acceptable, stable shell beneath. Conversely perhaps, it’s exposing the real.

Completing a Masters of Fine Art in 2021 has deepened her theoretical understanding of Art and Design, complementing a Bachelor of Fine Art, Diploma in Ceramics and Interior Design qualifications. Valissa has exhibited works in London as well as Sydney and Melbourne with pieces held in collections both locally and internationally. Her works have been published internationally in Digital Handmade, Thames and Hudson UK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 71

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Indy C Send in the Clowns [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 40 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Matthew is perhaps Townsville’s most avid comedy fan. He shows up early and he leaves late. He is so considered and deliberate and mildly uptight, which is almost paradoxical because he is there to laugh which implies that he should be relaxed. He selects his seat carefully. It is never at the front, but it is close to it. It is never on the end of the row, but it is close to it. Sometimes he will bring a friend and sometimes he arrives alone but his routine never changes. He shows up early and he leaves late. He is there to laugh and that is serious business.

My dad had a vintage Nikon SLR when I was a kid. There were only film cameras back then and film and printing were expensive so he made me learn how to use it properly. I completed a diploma in photography shortly thereafter and began shooting for friends and family but then I put the camera down for 15 years.

If I had time, I’d have changed my lens and considered my shot better but I didn’t have time. So, I took one shot and on review it was all Matthew so I didn’t need to take another ... send in the clowns.

Three years ago, after having well retired my camera hand, I found myself at a wedding where the photographer was a no-show so I used a digital SLR owned by a bridesmaid to single-handedly photograph the whole wedding. I haven’t stopped shooting since.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 73

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Caleb CAMERON Put Together [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 59.4 x 42 cm

About the work

About the artist

Exploring ideas of self-destruction, decay, and falling apart. Put Together, utilizes minimal lighting and different points of lighting to convey a sense of fracturing, showing the subject in two parts, separating, tearing away. A sense of dread and foreboding is laden across his face, as he falls further and further into dismay. Whatever struggle the man is experiencing is left up to personal interpretation, a blank state to place your-own struggle onto. The piece only abstractly communicates the raw emotions of the man and the mental strain he is under, the rest left to the black void of the image, showing the character slowly fading away into the background.

Being my first year of pursuing art full-time as a young adult, I have been through a lot of new experiences over the past year. I started this year off by completing my first short film Gothenburg, on 14 January as Cinematograhoer for Theatre of Diversion. I then quickly began work on my independent film premiere of Preliminary Information, Rose-3 and Saprobe on 5 June. All films directed and written by me. I then got a $5000 Townsville City Council grant to produce and direct a collaborative multi-media art exhibition called Dark Lining, in collaboration with Diffraction Collective which was held between 30 October - 21 November. From there to the present, I have been mainly honing down my photography and writing skills, producing several photo and poem collections, with my biggest being Portraits of Poetry which released on 26 January 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 75

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Caleb CAMERON Tearing Apart [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 59.4 x 42 cm

About the work

About the artist

Tearing Apart is meant to be a single freeze-frame cut from a long moment of chaos, disarray and destruction. Coming from the digital, photo and poem collection Seperation, which explores the feeling of stagnation, rotting away, loss of hope, and the fickle battle one must undertake to pull themselves from rock bottom. Tearing Apart’s purpose within the collection was to represent the most nihilistic and hopeless imagery of the collection; showing both the subject and her world, falling apart, tearing at the seams and fracturing around her, while she did nothing but sit back and accept her fate.

Being my first year of pursuing art full-time as a young adult, I have been through a lot of new experiences over the past year. I started this year off by completing my first short film Gothenburg, on 14 January as Cinematographer for Theatre of Diversion. I then quickly began work on my independent film premiere of Preliminary Information, Rose-3 and Saprobe on 5 June. All films directed and written by me. I then got a $5000 Townsville City Council grant to produce and direct a collaborative multi-media art exhibition called Dark Lining, in collaboration with Diffraction Collective which was held between 30 October - 21 November. From there to the present, I have been mainly honing down my photography and writing skills, producing several photo and poem collections, with my biggest being Portraits of Poetry which released on 26 January 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 77

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Caleb CAMERON Thoughts Compiled [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 42 x 29.7 cm

About the work

About the artist

Thoughts compiled explores ideas of external identity, specifically around the concept of societal norms around identity, highlighting the subtle nature of uniqueness when hidden under layers of societal conventions, flipping them on its head. The piece draws attention to the strangeness of humanity, pulling away the mystery and putting it into the bare and open daytime and letting the audience sit with the abstract figure before them. Through its use of double exposure, Thoughts Compiled’s subject takes on the striking, almost inhuman appearance which defies all natural reasoning. The doubling of glasses, eyes, mouth and head gives the image an unsettling amount of the Uncanny Valley effect. However, this strangeness is then juxtaposed with the character’s other ‘normal’ aspect, his well-dressed appearance, clean-shaven face, and general regal stare. Through this compiling of stylistic and fashion conventions, the subject’s external identity; how he is perceived by others is put into question.

Being my first year of pursuing art full-time as a young adult, I have been through a lot of new experiences over the past year. I started this year off by completing my first short film Gothenburg, on 14 January as Cinematographer for Theatre of Diversion. I then quickly began work on my independent film premiere of Preliminary Information, Rose-3 and Saprobe on 5 June. All films directed and written by me. I then got a $5000 Townsville City Council grant to produce and direct a collaborative multi-media art exhibition called Dark Lining, in collaboration with Diffraction Collective which was held between 30 October - 21 November. From there to the present, I have been mainly honing down my photography and writing skills, producing several photo and poem collections, with my biggest being Portraits of Poetry which released on 26 January 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 79

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brett CANET-GIBSON Kira-Che [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

National Institute of Dramatic Arts student, Kira-Che, was photographed using natural light and a portable background on the street in Perth, Western Australia.

Brett Canét-Gibson has a 30-year career as an image maker and communicator in portrait, still and commercial photography, graphic design and visual arts. He has worked extensively in the print media, design and entertainment industries, and has received many international, national and local portrait and editorial awards.

Originally from Perth, Kira-Che was back in town due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is planning to make the trip back across the Nullarbor when things settle down.

Canét-Gibson’s work has been exhibited in major international photographic competitions including the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris (Gold Award); IPA International Photography Awards in New York (third prize, fine art/still life category); International Fine Art Photography Award London (second prize); International LensCulture Portrait Awards (finalist); Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (finalist); and the London Photo Festival Abstract and Fine Art Photography Competition (runner-up). Nationally, he is a four-time National Photographic Portrait Prize finalist; three-time Head On Photo Festival finalist; three-time Olive Cotton Award finalist; Bowness Photography Prize finalist; and Percival Photographic Portrait Prize winner.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 81

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brett CANET-GIBSON Tweedy at Twelve [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

The hijab is a journey and not a destination.

Amalina (aka Tweedy) decided several months ago to wear the hijab. This decision was not an easy one, it’s layered. Her mother talked with her at length - how the world will look at her differently; how she will be treated; how she will represent something bigger than herself; but, most importantly, her reason ‘why’ could be none other than the purest intention - to please her Lord. Photographed with natural light and a portable background in her backyard.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 83

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brett CANET-GIBSON Unmasked - Bob Gordon [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

The tears of a clown trope seems light-hearted at first when it’s done in KISS make-up, but it speaks of the heartbreak that has set in for the music industry as it battles against the ravages of the COVID-19 era and the lack of government support around it.

The brave face begins to fade after a while but there is a necessity to find other ways for the show to go on, even as broken dreams seem to inhabit every highway. Portrait of Music Journalist, Bob Gordon. Made with natural light and a portable backdrop on his Fremantle balcony.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 85

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brian CASSEY Mother Africa - Aurora [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 92 x 59 cm

About the work

About the artist

As an Australian resident and black Colorado-born African American, Aurora Coulter is acutely aware of her heritage, the treatment of her coloured predecessors and forebears in the United States … and also the history of Australia’s Indigenous population since supposed ‘settlement’.

Long based in Australia’s city of Cairns, Brian was born in London. Spent his formative and ‘interesting’ teenage years playing and photographing football. Work appeared regularly in London’s metro and suburban press before Brian moved to Australia. Since making Cairns home decades ago Brian has been freelancing for National and International news media and ‘The Wires’. Brian covered - amongst many other news events - tsunamis in Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar 2004/5) and the Pacific (Sissano PNG 1998), refugees from East Timor (1999), George Speights Fiji coup and the Melbourne World Economic Forum riots (2000), the 2002 Bali terrorist bombs, the devastation by category 5 cyclones Larry (2006) and Yasi (2011) in Australia. A Nikon-Walkley Award winner in 2005, 2011, 2017 and 2021 and a finalist in the 2013 Nikon-Walkley Australian Press Photographer of the Year Award, Brian has achieved recognition in numerous other awards around the planet.

This image was made to reflect an historical aspect of the treatment of Indigenous peoples at the hands of colonialists, exposing their vulnerability … and portray a symbolic loosening of the ‘corset’.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 87

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brian CASSEY Graham Elms - Legendary Larrikin [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 70 x 92 cm

About the work

About the artist

‘Larrikin’ Graham Elms at his ‘Misty Mountain’ retreat on the Atherton Tablelands. Graham’s fighting skills are legendary and the self-confessed ‘bruiser’ said “If I could get into a ‘blue’ I’d run five kilometres just to get in the middle of it”.

Over the decades he has been a ringer, stockman, bull catcher, station owner, road train driver and operator, jockey, horse trainer, gold miner, policeman, mayor, husband, father and grandfather. Uneducated, he got his first job at the age of ten earning a ‘five bob’ a week at remote Butchers Hill Station. He never looked back. Now 72 he reckons he’s ‘slowed down a bit’ from his brawling days. Right is Graham’s wife of fifty years Lyn, who he once dragged out of a burning crashed aircraft saving her and his children from incineration. Never has it been truer that they ‘don’t make ‘em like this anymore’.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 89

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Brian CASSEY Covid Vax & Ice Cream [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 70 x 94 cm

About the work

About the artist

After receiving her first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination in her Yarrabah far north Australia home, 67 year old aboriginal Leanne Bulmer sits with her ‘reward’ - a free ice cream from the ice cream van that was arranged to follow the medical teams and doctors “door to door’ through the indigenous community, 12 October 2021.

The township of Yarrabah was experiencing the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Australia. Many Aboriginals are highly vulnerable during the pandemic due a variety of endemic health issues. The local Yarrabah health service Gurriny Yealamucka organised an intensive campaign to up vaccination rates, sending doctors and medical teams door to door on foot explaining vaccination advantages, dispelling misconceptions and inoculating residents - followed by the ice cream van with Greensleeves playing on a loop. Despite some resistance from residents citing bogus stories from social media the program was deemed a success.

PAINTING 91

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Laura CASTELL Portrait of Adrian [detail] 2022 Oil on wood 24.5 x 20 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of my son Adrian. He is my only child and now a young man, living his own life. I wanted to capture what I think reflects his personality but also the deep feeling I have for him. The pose reflects the sitter in his own world, somewhat unaware of the intense eyes (mine) looking at him, intimate but still separate.

Laura Castell is originally from Venezuela, has lived in North Queensland, Australia, for over 30 years. She has had solo and group exhibitions, has won several art prizes and been a finalist in several Australian wide printmaking awards. She was one of 6 artists selected for the Print Council of Australia Print Commission in 2021. Her work is in the collection of various Australian institutions, including the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Artspace Mackay, National Gallery of Australia, the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia.

PAINTING 93

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Julie CHANDLER Daniel [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

During COVID-19 my mind needed positive reassurance.

My name is Julie Chandler and I am a retired interior designer.

Daniel Butterworth is a Macedon Ranges artist who inspired and elevated my desire to paint. He brings humor and genuine skill to my artistic world. I hope I have captured his warm and engaging personality. We took photos during an early session and I was able to complete during lockdown.

We moved to the Macedon Ranges 4 years ago and build a purpose built art studio where I have been able to closet myself to indulge in my passion. My previous career was spent in the midst of colour shape and form so with time to indulge I have immersed myself in my craft.

PAINTING 95

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Barbara CHESHIRE Grime, Exhaustion and Quiet Satisfaction: Sculptor Gavan Fenelon after a day of mind-mining [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 153 x 103 cm About the work

About the artist

This work is about capturing the artist’s expression of exhaustion where all care for external experience is gone as he’s absorbed in the essence of creation. The day’s filth, ingrained into every part of his skin and clothes from metal dust, is just like his art ingrained in his psyche. The external expression was evident but a quiet satisfaction from his mind-mining was also on display.

After studying the philosophy, practice, history, and psychology of art alongside of theology, the experience of creating an artwork was reinforced and still remains a conduit to the inner self and my belief system. Therefore, a metaphoric approach is predominately used to create and signify a spiritual context within most of my art. However, over the years my practice has also been drawn towards the vicissitudes in life’s happenings through conceptual principals. I term my work as experiential in that I explore both my sensory and spiritual perceptions of subject matter. When I am in tune with both the inner and outer forms of awareness, a complete human experience is unlocked. This approach releases a natural creative rhythm and my artwork takes on a personal inner cadence of expression.

PAINTING 97

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Hannibal COATES Texas and Hugh [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 73 x 109 cm

About the work

About the artist

Employing my good friends Texas and Hugh, a world of pleasant idleness is found, both dreamlike and romantic in nature. Taking cues from the visual rhetoric of cinema, this series acts as a vessel, reflecting a romanticised adaptation of hedonism in youth. This artwork taps into the idea of memory in order to play with one’s notions of nostalgia. I treat memory and nostalgia as sensorial as a drug, where viewers of my work are bombarded with vibrant tones, and colour becomes a vessel, aiding in the remembrance of a moment.

Hannibal Coates is an emerging artist from Adelaide specialising in oil portraiture where his compositions largely consist of the pleasant idleness of the theatre of everyday. In 2018, he was awarded the SACE Merit for Visual Arts from the South Australian Certificate of Education for his portrait Mum at Government House for exceptional achievement in visual arts. Hannibal Coates graduated from Adelaide Central School of Art in 2021, exhibiting in the Graduate Exhibition.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 99

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jess COLDREY Pet Drone #2 [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 59.4 x 42 cm

About the work

About the artist

New technologies appear in Jess Coldrey’s sculptures, festival installations, and mechanical video works, taking on the language of experiments, games, and electronic tangles. Objects are scanned, sensed, mechanised, 3D-printed and lasered through the constant knitting of humans and machines.

Jess Coldrey is an internationally exhibited technology artist, most notably curated into exhibitions for the Australian Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne Science Gallery, and the United Nations’ COP26 conference in Glasgow. She holds a BA and BVA from Monash University and is currently pursuing an MSc in the UK. From robotics and drone selfies winning her the prestigious Agendo Art Prize to her recent fashion project in Paris exploring endometriosis, her art has traversed creativity and engineering to spark new conversations about the future.

Coldrey’s work playfully shares the perspective of social determinist Leila Green, who argues that society ultimately shapes technology rather than vice versa. She believes our fears, ecstasies, and mythologies about technology disconnect us, creating a dissonance between the present and the past’s future. Coldrey’s recent Retro Futurism project represents this sentiment through the absurd fusion of 60s space-age futurism with emotionally-loaded modern machines.

The media has widely featured Jess’ work, with focus articles from The Australian newspaper, Frankie Magazine, Highway Engineering Australia, Art Almanac and Australian Photography Magazine. She is currently studying for a Master of Science in the UK with plans to develop new frameworks for sustainable infrastructure development worldwide.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 101

THE PERCIVALS 2022

David COSSINI Third Time Lucky? [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 84 x 118 cm

About the work

About the artist

Amidst all the trauma and turmoil of 2020, despite the rough living and his dire predicament my father Leo fell in love and married Rosie, a sweet, kind and patient lady from Zimbabwe who saw through his inappropriate humour, all of his faults and decided to love him anyway.

I am a photographer and filmmaker from Newcastle, Australia.

After the wedding was delayed by six months with Leo battling his inner demons of addiction while the world contended with a global pandemic, when the big day had finally arrived the playful couple thought it would be fun to have a keepsake that best captured their personalities; spontaneous, funny and effervescent. At 73 years of age, this would be Leo’s third attempt at marriage.

Recent achievements include:

Grande Bruto Head On Photo Festival exhibition at Ambush Gallery, Sydney November 2021. Australian Life 2021 - Finalist. Mullins Conceptual Photographic Prize - Finalist. Urban Photo Awards - Portrait, Finalist. The Mono Awards - People, 4th place. Head On Photo Festival Portrait Awards exhibition.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 103

THE PERCIVALS 2022

David COSSINI Llewellyn Family Portrait [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 118 x 84 cm

About the work

About the artist

Driving home from a darkroom photography session in the Hunter Valley I spotted Llewellyn, Jason and their dog.

I am a photographer and filmmaker from Newcastle, Australia.

I immediately knew I had to turn around, head back and approach them. They turned out to be very friendly and welcoming and I photographed them out the front of Llewellyn’s home in Cessnock, Australia much to the amusement of the neighbours.

Recent achievements include:

PHOTOGRAPHIC 105

THE PERCIVALS 2022

David COSSINI Double Trouble [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 84 x 118 cm

About the work

About the artist

Teenage twins Jerry and Jackson, or as their father introduced them to me as ‘Double Trouble’, sit in the back seat of their fathers souped-up Torana at the Summernats Car Festival in Canberra, Australia.

I am a photographer and filmmaker from Newcastle, Australia.

Amongst the many young men that attend, there are plenty who are in the company of their father and in many ways they see it as a kind of rite of passage.

Recent achievements include:

PAINTING 107

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Leeanne CRISP Portrait of Elena Kats Chernin [detail] 2020 Watercolour on Arches paper 140 x 110 cm

About the work

About the artist

I first met Elena Kats Chernin at the Townsville Music Festival. She is a musician and composer who has participated more than once. The combination of the music, meeting her and being in such a beautiful place combined to produce a truly memorable experience. After that I got to know her through visits to Sydney and I started drawing and photographing over a period of years and started working on my portrait painting project with her.

Leeanne has a masters in Painting from the Australian National University in 2000 and has been working as a painter since 1975. She has been shown in the Archibald Prize, The Portia Geach the Blake prize the Australian Embassy in Washington (portrait exhibition), and has been in 80 group and 10 one person shows including The Drill Hall Gallery at ANU in 2020, Canberra Museum and Gallery (Ordinary People portrait project) and has won the ANU Drawing Prize, the John Copes Watercolour Prize and the Tuggeranong Art Prize. She has works in the National Portrait Gallery and Canberra Museum and Gallery. Leeanne has had residencies at Bundanon and Cape Town University.

Elena’s openness, generosity and musicality are a delight and I have aimed to project these qualities into the portrait.

leeannecrisp.com #leecrispartist

PAINTING 109

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Desiree CROSSING Waiting for Him [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 50 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

It was a quiet, cold night in the city, I was sitting alone as the rain beat down on my car, reflecting the neon lights in the droplets. The sound was almost overwhelming. In these deserted streets, despite my isolation, I felt a promise of sorts ... I was waiting for him.

Desiree Crossing (b.1981) is an Australian contemporary painter, based in Perth, Western Australia. Specialising in portraiture, Desiree’s sumptuous oil paintings speak to classical painting traditions, whilst embodying an unmistakably modern spirit. Crossing studied Fine Arts at Edith Cowan University, Central TAFE, and Set and Costume Design at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. She has undertaken two artist residencies in Italy. Working in finely detailed contemporary realism, her focus is on narrative portraiture. Each work gives intimate insight into the lives of the people in her paintings. Crossing was the winner of the 2021 Lester Prize Baldock People’s Choice Award and the 2020 City of Busselton Art Awards People’s Choice Award.

PAINTING 111

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jessie CUNNINGHAM-REID Mirror Mirror [detail] 2021 Oil on board 30 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

Intrigued by the simple beauty of the everyday, Jessie Cunningham-Reid works between still life, portraiture and abstraction to capture her pleasure in everyday moments, turning them into something intimate, revelatory and long-lasting. The embodiment of experiences and sensations is at the heart of Cunningham-Reid’s practice. Trained in painting, her boldly feminine works are underpinned by a solid foundation of modernist theory and considered technical approaches to colour, composition and mark making. Mirror Mirror, (2021) considers the interrelationship between selfie culture and traditional self-portraits. Reflecting on the typically superficial nature of social media, this work seeks to subvert ‘the selfie’ and reflect on how contemporary self-portraits respond to this phenomenon.

Jessie Cunningham-Reid trained as a painter at the National Art School in Sydney under David Serisier, Stephen Little, Rodney Pople and others. She has been named amongst the finalists of the Georges River Art Prize (2021) and the Lethbridge 20000 (2021). Her work is included in the National Art School Archive Collection. She has held solo exhibitions and as part of group shows nationally and internationally. During the COVID-19 lockdown she launched her own magazine called Special Issue s celebrating local Melbourne artists with a focus on mental health and feminism. It satirises traditional fashion magazines and uses punkstyle methodologies to uncover systemic structures of the patriarchy.

PAINTING 113

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Claire B CUSACK Victoria [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas board 35.6 x 25.4 cm

About the work

About the artist

My daughter Victoria loves to play in her grandmother’s scarves. She often tries them all on and makes up different outfits with them. I have captured Victoria draped in my mother’s favourite scarf. I have captured Victoria’s sweet and loving personality as she thinks about which scarf to select next.

Claire B Cusack is an award-winning artist from Canberra, Australia. She placed first place in the COTA ACT Silver is Gold competition with a portrait of her father titled Life weary, never old. Claire has two main focuses with her art - portraits and birds. Claire strives to bring life into all her paintings.

PAINTING 115

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Dagmar CYRULLA Bella granddaughter of Constance Stokes [detail] 2022 Oil on board 40 x 46.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

Dr Bella d’Abrera is a mysterious and beautiful woman, her values are firmly rooted in history and her religious beliefs. She is the granddaughter of painter Constance Stokes and a champion for good old-fashioned values, which resonate with me. The painting’s intention was to capture Bella the way I see her - strong, intriguing, traditional and an inspiration to women. The painting’s composition was inspired by Romain Brooks self-portrait in 1923. My painting is an acknowledgement to the early female artists who fought against the status quo in a man’s world. I see Bella in this same light.

Dagmar Evelyn Cyrulla is an Australian contemporary artist. Her work is about relationships, especially those from a woman’s perspective. In 2017, her painting, I Am was Highly Commended in the Doug Moran portrait prize. In 2017 her work The phone call IV won the Manning regional gallery Naked & Nude Art Prize. Cyrulla’s work revolves around human relatedness. Cyrulla’s works are held in several public collections including, Warrnambool, Bathurst, Horsham & Ballarat regional galleries. The Australian newspaper described her work as “Recognised for producing works of stirring psychological intensity, Cyrulla has brought a new dimension to contemporary Australian art”.

PAINTING 117

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Philip DAVID Sculptor, Kon Heyer, 76 yo stands on a 700M yo glacier marked stone in winter in the Flinders Ranges, SA [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 180 x 90 cm About the work

About the artist

Last year during winter, Kon, myself and 2 other artists 4-wheel drove into the Flinders Ranges. There we sketched, loosely painted and photographed over a number of days. It was extremely cold most of the time even though it was sunny. On return to Adelaide, I decided to create a full-scale portrait of my good friend, Kon, based on his love of outback Australia and with him being a sculptor he was thrilled that we discovered an incredible number of glaciated rocks, which on research was between 600 to 700 million years old. To me, this puts into perspective the age of our beautiful land and the changes that have occurred within it. “Glaciers in the centre of Australia? Yes!”

Philip is a portrait artist who enjoys the creative puzzle of exploring and testing his imagination and his abilities and he finds it rewarding and he can see his style evolving. He doesn’t believe painting should be a reproduction of the splendid world that is at our fingertips that can be captured easily by photography with all its enhancements and ability to morph the image. He delights in the first stab with a brush and he believe painting should capture the heart of the human condition. He has an urge to create, draw, paint and sketch every day. He is fascinated by faces. He loves seeing colour, eyes and skin folds. He likes portraits and peopled paintings. He loves the beauty of shapes, blends of shapes, shades and colour of faces. He loves oils and mixed media and he goes through stages of Realism, Expressionism and Abstraction.

PAINTING 119

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Philip DAVID Artist, Bob Landt [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm

About the work

About the artist

Last year, being another year of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, I looked around for some of my good friends who I haven’t yet painted in the art world. Bob and I are part of a group of 15 odd artists based in the Adelaide Hills and one night during conversation I wondered about painting him and he with his smile exactly as the painting shows was quite flattered that I would ask him. With further conversation, I discovered, that he has never had his portrait painted by another artist. Thus, his beaming smiley eyes did not alter during the whole sessions that he sat and I believe I have absolutely nailed his extremely calm, warm, very friendly nature. When Bob sat, I did approx. 5 sketches and 1 acrylic study, I later started a further painting as entered.

PAINTING 121

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Philip DAVID Conceptual Artist, Monica Morgenstern, relaxes over a coffee with Patch her dog [detail] 2022 Oil on board 90 x 60 cm About the work

About the artist

Monica is an accomplished non-figurative, conceptual artist, who has had many exhibitions. She is full-time and treats her art career very seriously. I asked Monica if she would mind sitting for me for a series of portraits. She was delighted to be asked and also remarked that she had never had her portrait painted before ever. I had 2 sittings with Monica and on both occasions, I did numerous sketches and a number of acrylic paint studies. Monica was leaning against the kitchen sink and we were talking as I sketched. She wasn’t sure whether this would be a good pose and I said that “you were relaxed as you were informally talking about your art”. So I think I’ve managed to grab some of Monica’s intensity and seriousness about her work as she was dressed in the Klimpt-like smock that she always works in.

PAINTING 123

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Susan DE BOER Richard [detail] 2022 Oil on wood panel 49 x 37 cm

About the work

About the artist

Dr Richard Edmunds is a molecular geneticist and polymath, with a love of 70s funk music. I have portrayed him in his home with his beloved U.BASS, turntables and record collection. We have whiled away many happy hours together with his partner and friends in this room, hanging out and listening to music, having interesting conversations into the night. It is the perfect haven to ride-out the pandemic, nothing external required.

Susan de Boer is an artist living in Townsville, in far Northern Queensland Australia. Susan primarily paints in oils and specializes in portraits of people and animals as well as the odd still life painting. She lives with her two year old daughter, husband, and dogs in a rickety old Queenslander house.

PAINTING 125

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rehgan DE MATHER All That You Can’t Leave Behind, but Probably Should [2020 Vision] [detail] 2021 Acrylic, spray enamel and oil stick on canvas 122 x 200 cm

About the work

About the artist

Painted over an incomplete and abandoned self-portrait from 2011, this work did not begin as a self-portrait, but rather as a response to the year that was 2020; focusing more on the when, what, and how, then the who.

Rehgan De Mather has established himself as an artist to watch. Since completing his BVA at Monash University, he’s had 25 solo and 30 group exhibitions; is represented in numerous public and private collections in Australia, Singapore, UK, USA and Ireland; has been the finalist in many high-profile awards including the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and The Lester Prize; was selected as the 2013 RAW Melbourne Visual Artist of the Year; and has been awarded multiple artist residencies.

During the 12 months this canvas was reworked, the painting, much like our day to day lives, started and stopped on multiple occasions, capturing the conflict and consumption, alongside the anxiety and tension, of both a challenging and uncertain, yet transformational period.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 127

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Narelle DELLE BAITE The Punctuation Between Then and Now [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 29.7 x 21 cm

About the work

About the artist

Is a digital photographic print that plays on the idea of the photographic device as an instrument capturing a moment now lost in time with themes of disappearance. Out of the darkness, a girl appears, playing the piano. The subject’s existence is on the brink of disappearance, with only a moment of perception and slither of light permitting the subject to open herself up with an essence within which becomes fleetingly visible. A feminine viewing of the subject deliberately avoids sharp lines and embraces a soft silhouette to allude to more than a physical presence.

Narelle Delle Baite is an Australian artist who explores alternative theories of beauty and feminist aesthetics in conceptual photography. Narelle completed a Bachelor of New Media Arts (Photo Media) in 2017, Honours in 2018 at James Cook University, Australia, and is currently completing a PhD in Creative Arts. Narelle has both studied and spoken at an international level. In 2016, Narelle studied at the summer school at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt. In 2018, Narelle was invited to speak internationally at Malta University in Malta on her research on feminine aesthetics and photography. Narelle has exhibited works internationally in Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and England.

PAINTING 129

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Janine DELLO Stir [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 101 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

My art practice is driven by my obsession with the relationship women have with the search for beauty and perfection.

Janine Dello is an emerging South Australian artist. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Art in 2016, she has participated in numerous group exhibitions, has had three solo exhibitions; Notes to self, BMG Gallery (2019); Inhabit, Lethbridge Gallery (2021); and Bedtime Stories, Praxis ARTSPACE Gallery (2021). Janine has also been a finalist in several prominent Australian art prize awards, including the 2020 and 2021 Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Percival Portrait Painting Prize 2020 and The Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize 2019.

Inspired by lived experience, this painting looks at our changed relationship to domestic life in our ‘new normal’ with many of us spending too much time alone longing for interaction with others. My aim with this portrait of my friend, Kari, was to portray a sense of isolation whilst yearning to escape – with the ever-present desire for perfection in our every day.

Her figurative oil paintings explore the female experience, using narratives that reflect on the impact of cultural anxieties. She explores woman as subject, looking at contemporary issues including themes such as desire, belonging and the search for perfection which confounds women today. Deriving inspiration from personal and collective lived experience, through a playful yet provocative aesthetic, her work is layered with symbolism and speaks the language of consumer culture.

PAINTING 131

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Thomas DELOHERY Nervous Energy. Portrait of British Actor Jared Harris [detail] 2021 Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas 121 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

When I met with British Actor Jared Harris I asked him to sit comfortably, to look to his right and stare down low. All of which he did in between doing a radio interview over the phone and talking about rare books and first editions. He is one of the hardest working actors in the business so he has a lot of nervous energy which proved a bit of a challenge in relation to him sitting still. I did several pieces from the life drawings I did of Jared but this last one nailed my experience of drawing him in person spot on. Jared is a charming colourful yet very pensive man. I wanted to capture this in my painting.

Thomas Delohery is an Irish born Australian Painter. He has a First Class Degree in Fine Art Painting as well as a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Belfast, UK. He was Awarded a Distinguished Talent Visa to stay and work in Australia. He has had 43 Solo Exhibitions as well as been a part of 29 Group Exhibitions World wide in countries such as Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Germany, Canada and Australia. He was commissioned to do the Artwork for the Richard Harris International Film Festival from 2013 - 2015. He was a Black Swan Prize Finalist in 2016 with his Portrait of Holocaust Survivor Henri Korn and then again in 2017 with his Portrait of Performance Artist Stelarc. His Artwork is in the Public Collections of Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, The Wiener Library, London and the History Department of University College Cork Ireland.

PAINTING 133

THE PERCIVALS 2022

John DERRICK Close Contact [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 36 x 27.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This painting is a self-portrait I completed whilst in isolation. I was a close contact as my daughter tested positive to COVID-19. She was in our family home and I was in our holiday house by the beach. The painting depicts me in a state of anxiety and exhaustion as I was concerned about my daughter’s wellbeing. I called her at every day to check on her progress whilst organising friends to drop off food and supplies to her. I found some spare oil paints and canvas, and used an old make-up mirror that magnified my facial features. Doing the painting during this time helped me to cope with the stress of the situation. I had a little taste of being disconnected from loved ones and not able to be physically present to care for them.

John Derrick is based in Melbourne, Australia, and has had over twenty years of solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. He was awarded a prestigious Samstag Scholarship in 1998 and spent two years studying at Pratt Institute in New York. He has been a finalist is various art prizes such as the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Substation Contemporary Art Prize and the Metro Five Art Prize. He completed at PHD at RMIT University in 2010. His PHD explored the intersection between oil painting and 3D computer-generated game environments. He is also an independent curator and was the visual arts curator of the Dark Luminance exhibition exploring real and virtual gallery environments. The exhibition travelled to New York in 2008 and Melbourne in 2009.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 135

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kerrie DI CATALDO Enter Here [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Mr Tony Kohn, hairdresser, musician and seasoned traveller. Memorabilia from his life adorns his salon with an eclectic array of items, and best of all, there is a collection of metal skulls adorning the walls. Memory of the time and place are the most important attribute to this man’s character.

Encompassing both film and digital techniques, Kerrie is interested in the emotional response and feeling generated by the photographic medium. Time, place and memory converge. The power of an image to attract, carry a message, and, in turn, invoke a lasting impression upon the viewer, is paramount. Constraints within the photographic process are not limited by imagination and interpretation. A particular affinity with monochrome, Kerrie’s work continues to evolve through various aspects of the medium. Experimental and alternative processes, contemporary landscape, abstraction and more recently a focus on portraiture, provide an ongoing quest to her work.

PAINTING 137

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Prue DICKINS Miss Halle [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 55 cm

About the work

About the artist

I wanted to capture Halle’s depth, it’s hard to explain, she captures me every time I look into her eyes.

Well- there is not much I can say regarding qualifications, awards, or significant exhibitions as this is the beginning of my journey after ignoring my passion for many, many years.

Before I began I asked her if she had a colour - she asked for pink- originally she was blue-green and all sorts and then I rebuilt her and completely lost myself in her to create this version. I love the effect this painting has on all of the children who know Halle including herself, in a way it does what I wanted it to - to speak to them.

I first began designing around 8, in my early teens, I was fortunate to be taught how to paint landscapes with oils by Betty Scott out at her studio in Burramine VIC. I chose to travel to Canada to a small island of Newfoundland to further my Art experience and maybe even get into New York from there. Great plan, didn’t work out that way. In 2018 my love of the arts was resurrected. It was another 8 months or so before I started to actually put pen or paint to work and the gears really shifted with COVID-19, from there evolved Truly Pruly.

PAINTING 139

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Prue DICKINS Dad [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas with resin finish 40 x 30 cm

About the work

About the artist

Portrait of my dad.

Well- there is not much I can say regarding qualifications, awards, or significant exhibitions as this is the beginning of my journey after ignoring my passion for many, many years.

I have always been intrigued by the deepened lines on his face and wanted to attempt to capture his earthiness and Australianness. I used many of my landscape colours and loved feeling his warmth come through mostly painted with a small palette knife to add to the roughness/toughness. Once completed, a resin finish was applied by an associate to the Artist over the stretched canvas, no actual frame was applied to the painting.

PAINTING 141

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Karen DYER In the Overall Scheme of Things [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Self-portrait - Does the concept of free will really exist or are we all just fulfilling our roles which are predetermined by the creator of the universe (whoever or whatever that is)?

I am a self taught artist who has been painting seriously for three years. I now work part-time in order to focus on painting which has become an overwhelming obsession. Whether painting landscapes or portraits, 2022 is the year I am looking to move to the next stage of my artistic journey, wherever it takes me.

Or perhaps we are like chess pieces to be moved in whichever direction creates the most amusement whilst believing we are in control of our lives and our destiny. Whichever the case, there is some comfort to be had in the realisation that all the bad decisions I have made in my life have not been my fault (perhaps I should rename the piece Passing the Buck).

PAINTING 143

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Yvonne EAST Portrait of Saba Vasefi as the Oracle [detail] 2021 Oil on Belgian linen 160 x 80 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of Saba Vasefi; poet, writer and filmmaker. Seeking political refuge from Iran, Saba arrived in Australia eleven years ago with her daughter. Saba is a woman of immaculate words. This portrait reimagines Saba as the Oracle of Delphi – a powerful woman from antiquity - but this oracle is different; her eyes are open as her knowledge comes from the world and a position of being ‘in between’ places. Saba holds her grandmother’s candleholder - one of the few items Saba could bring with her to Australia, and a bouquet of gum leaves – symbolic of her new home. Symbolic of new possibilities, Saba is wearing a dress gifted to her by the late Carla Zampatti, a long-time advocate for women who have migrated to Australia.

Presently living and working in Sydney I hail from regional South Australia. Completing my Masters of Art (Research) in 2016, I now lecture in drawing and painting at the University of New South Wales Art and Design. The National Portrait Gallery of Australia recently acquired my portrait of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Susan Kiefel AC, into their permanent collection. Notable awards include the 2015 AGNSW Robert Le Gay Brereton Prize, 2014 Tim Olsen Drawing Prize and the 2012 Country Arts SA Breaking Ground Award. I have been a finalist in several major prizes, most recently, the Darling Portrait Prize and the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award in 2020, and the Archibald Prize, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, and the 65th Blake Prize in 2018. I also produce large scale murals for government projects and schools, most recently for Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 145

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Nikki EASTERBROOK Under the Frangipani [detail] 2020 Archival pigment ink photograph on cotton rag paper 82 x 51.5 cm

About the work Under the Frangipani expands upon moments of my life that I have shared with my daughter. Innately interconnected with one another, we are both represented by compositional complexities of light and dark, alongside conceptual dichotomies of fear and boldness, doubt and determination. By referencing the Frangipani as an allegory of time, I am drawn to the element of change surrounding her. The frangipani’s limbs rid the old in preparation for the new; whilst my daughter desires a departure from youth to adulthood, I desire a departure from adulthood to youth. Nikki Easterbrook

About the artist Current & Most Recent Awards & Residencies:

Selected for the 2022 Artist in Residence Program, Bundanon, NSW. Selected finalist in the 2022 Grace Cossington Smith Award, NSW, 2021 The Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize, NSW, 2021 Gosford Regional Art Prize; Gosford Regional Gallery, 2021 Fisher’s Ghost Prize; Campbelltown Arts Centre.

PAINTING 147

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Esther ERLICH Them [detail] 2020 Acrylic paint on canvas 122 x 122 cm

About the work

About the artist

Nevo is a queer, non-binary writer, activist and public speaker based in Naarm/Birraranga/Melbourne. With a particular focus on issues surrounding gender, sex, culture and sexuality, they run workshops in schools and workplaces around trans issues. They are also the author of award-winning Finding Nevo, a memoir on gender transition and a contributor to Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories.

I was born in Melbourne to Holocaust survivors. Despite their experiences my parents had a love of the arts and our house was filled with music and culture. As a small child my mother would draw pictures for me and I adored watching her fluid lines that magically became a face, etc. I used to imitate her pictures and have always, since I can remember, painted, drew and made art. In 1998 I won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with my portrait of Steve Moneghetti and in 2000 my portrait of Bill Leak won the Archibald Prize People’s Choice.

Nevo arrived at our sitting wearing a rich purple/blue patterned dress and doc martins with their long golden curly hair catching the sunlight giving Nevo a saintly appearance … which is why I ended up painting them in a pose reminiscent of that of Jesus in Leonardo DaVinci’s painting, The Last Supper.

PAINTING 149

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Eloise FLYNN A Lost Treasure [detail] 2022 Oil and gold leaf on wooden board 50 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is my little sister, Annabelle, and she, like all children, has discovered the magic of drawing and imaginary play. The way she sees the world is not as an obstacle that controls her, but a wonder to be shaped and has a magical perspective that has grown foreign to me. I wanted to project the imperativeness of imagination and creativity in this piece, and the tragedy it is to lose such a ‘treasure’. Here, my gold leaf becomes a metaphor, spilling away from her fingertips, while the combination of a realism-impressionist style projects her absorption and state of being ‘swept up’ in her own little world. However, my sister too, is growing, and will also one day lose touch with her innocent imagination. So we must treasure and cultivate it while we can, for as long as possible.

Eloise Flynn is an emerging artist from the ACT. She began painting and drawing from a young age, and her artistic skills are in continuous development. She enjoys experimenting with realist and impressionist styles, often combining the two to capture personal likeness with vibrant emotion. She is fascinated with expressing stories and broad philosophical ideas through her work, creating art that is not just made to represent an individual. Eloise is currently studying art through the International Baccalaureate, and hopes to launch a career continuing to produce and sell works that spark joy and intriguing conversations.

PAINTING 151

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Laurel FOENANDER Self Portrait with Arkie Foenander - It’s Been A Big Year [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 122 x 122 cm

About the work

About the artist

Well our big year has stretched into two, and COVID-19 continues to affect our lives.

Contemporary Realist oil painter, over 25 years professional experience.

Our Smithfield Collie, Arkie is a comical but sensitive girl who often leans against people to show affection or support, prompting me to consider the way Australians have leaned on our pets in COVID-19 times.

Over 100 awards in art shows, including many ‘best in show’.

Dog walking became a national sport, and pets stepped up when we had to distance from family and friends. I thought too about the ancient traditions of dogs in art, from cave paintings through to old European masters, and modern masters like Whitely and Storrier. I find self-portraiture an excruciating, confronting process, perhaps exposing another reason for including my studio assistant, but what emerged is a steadfast, slightly defiant look at ageing, surviving in the arts, and the strangeness of this great big universe in the age of COVID-19.

Finalist in several national awards. Winner of 2021 Maritime Art Award.. Dozens of group and solo exhibitions, including Art Melbourne. Illustrated children’s books and specialist avian books, painted large murals and directed community arts projects. Collected widely in Australia and overseas including Cherie Barber who purchased her portrait entered in the 2017 Archibald Prize. Acquired as the winner of the ‘Mediterranean Shipping Company’ Maritime Art Award 2021.

PAINTING 153

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Cutler FOOTWAY Anders Skarin with flowers, fruit and bowl [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 100 cm

About the work

About the artist

Swedish-Australian Anders Skarin is a friend with fiercely expressed political and social views. He is a moral exemplar in my life and an inspiration in my art. In the portrait he presides over a group of fruits and flowers from the Burdekin district. He seems to summon these objects into existence in the showy manner of a stage magician, while tugging at the tablecloth as if to make them disappear. In his upraised hand, the “sinister” left, he holds a burning flame which is nonetheless benign. The offering bowl in the foreground is itself a magical artefact, combining totemic bird and fish motifs. The landscape depicts Alligator Creek in the Cape Bowling Green National Park south of Townsville. This site is imbued with nature’s own mysterious operations and animated, surely, by pre-contact presences.

Cutler Footway is the artistic pseudonym of the former art critic and broadcaster Bruce James. Returning to full time painting practice in 2003, Footway has held several exhibitions, notably at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW, in 2019. He was the winner of the Percival Portrait Painting Prize in 2020 and will hold a 20-year survey exhibition at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in September, 2022.

In his youth Anders posed for one of famed photographer William Yang’s most striking portraits.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 155

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Allan Paul FREEMAN Lost [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 63.9 x 89.1 cm

About the work

About the artist

In a climate and time when we are all a bit ‘lost’ - look into the eyes of the subject who truly is lost, not just because of the current pandemic, but because he is also culturally displaced. These 2 images of Jonathon are combined to show this displacement. Both taken days apart on the streets of Townsville, where he spends both day and night wandering around the city. Look into his eyes, see his posture, feel his loss and ask yourself “Where is his home?”, “What does his future hold?”, “What can we do?”.

3rd place in the 2014 Australian Photographic Society, Winter Competition. 2nd place in the 2013 Townsville Photographic Society Inc, Photo of the Year. Delivery of a 2 day Creative Photo Workshop at Greenvale, QLD. Finalist with 7 images in the 2016, 2018 and 2020 Percival Photographic Portrait Prize. Several years being the official photographer for the Palm Creek Folk Festival.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 157

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Allan Paul FREEMAN Deep in Thought [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 63.4 x 89.1 cm

About the work

About the artist

As we get older often finding the memories we are trying to retrieve, relive or communicate to others, our filling system at times becomes jumbled & the memories are difficult to reach. Searching for these memories we are wanting to reach becomes harder, whether due to age, the memory bank is full or scattered, or may be hard to recall or suppressed due to emotional reasons & may be even from a damaged mental state.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 159

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Emily FUJII Lines of Time [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print on canvas 100 x 75 cm

About the work

About the artist

Different aspects of a face can create deep thought, wonder and curiosity from the viewer. My love for photography has come from my interest in people’s faces and the tiny details that can be seen when you pay attention and listen. When photographing subjects, I want their story to be seen through the detail of their face and felt through their eyes.

I entered the 2020 Percival Photographic Portrait Prize and was the People’s Choice winner. Since then I have volunteered for Celebrate T21 and have photographed amazing children with the T21 diagnosis to be featured in a book distributed around Australia for future families. I have also worked for Down Syndrome Australia and have photographed families for them.

This image was taken in Gordon’s workshop. A place he visits everyday to craft little pieces of furniture or start up his abundance of vintage stationary steam engines. His face gives you his life story.

PAINTING 161

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Ben FUOG Father, Son, Dog. [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 76 x 50 cm

About the work

About the artist

This piece is conceptually based on a drawing my son made, aged two, that subsequently became a tattoo (not a discarded fridge drawing) and then this painting. He’s now twenty-four and an artist in his own right. It is indicative of, regardless of separation through sometimes harrowing circumstance, our eternal bond.

Ben Fuog is a multi-faceted visual artist. Born in Melbourne he now splits his practice between Melbourne and Athens, Greece. He has studied Graphic Design, Illustration and Fine Arts (painting). Having shown in solo and group exhibitions in Australia, Greece and other countries he has pieces in private collections in Europe, Australia and Asia. Ben has been a Blake prize finalist, a three-time James Farrell self-portrait award finalist, a four-time Semi-finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and a Percival Portrait Painting Prize finalist in 2020.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 163

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Louise GALEA untitled [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 67 x 67 cm

About the work

About the artist

The space we encounter. The environment. Our vision. Journey. Light. Dark. What we see and what we do not see. Where we go. How things change us and how we change it. A reflection of a reflection upon a reflection. Our reflection and others’ reflection. The engagement, interaction and what is lost in translation.

Born. Melbourne Australia. 1973. Visual Artist – Photography. Drawing. Maltese, Catholic Parents. Lived and worked in Melbourne, London, New York, Los Angeles. Completed BFA – RMIT Melbourne Australia. MFA – Goldsmiths College & Chelsea College, London UK. Artworks primarily focus on the coexisting traversing polarizing relationship between; icons – Hollywood/ religious, the human condition, body and soul, light and dark. Influences include; Marcel Duchamp. Andy Warhol. Andreas Gursky. Duane Michals. Andres Serrano. Marc Quinn. Edward Hopper. Bernini.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 165

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anna GLYNN Gymea Lily Madonna Blessed by Birds [detail] 2022 Photomontage 75 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Self-portrait.

Anna Glynn is an award-winning contemporary Australian artist. Her practice investigates the connection between humans, history, nature, land, place, physical and ephemeral. Her diverse art practice includes multimedia, painting, drawing, moving images, sculpture, installation, photography, writing, music, and sound.

My rainforest home, tucked at the base of the steep cliffs of the Illawarra escarpment, echoes with the joyous sound of birdsong. My inescapable Catholic upbringing presents an opportunity to reference and reimagine a familiar religious pose. I stand as a supplicant in the forest with a crown, halo and heart created from the flowers of the local indigenous plant, the Gymea Lily. I am surrounded and blessed by the birds that I love and encounter daily.

She has been awarded 2022 Artist in Residence at the State Library of NSW. In 2021 her work was acquired by the Parliament House Art Collection in Canberra, and by the National Historical Collection at the National Museum of Australia, also in Canberra. She has an active international art practice of projects and exhibitions in Estonia, USA, Sweden, Norway, Hong Kong, China, etc. Commissions include the Art, Ecology & Science project in USA, Sweden, and Australia 2018 (funded by the European Union), as well as the Art of Threatened Species Exhibition in Australia 2020. Her Promiscuous Provenance exhibition toured 2018 – 2021 to 10 galleries across QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, and SA with the support of the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 167

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Cerise GOLLOGLY The Black Pearl [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 60 x 40 cm

About the work Photography as ritual holds a power to unearth visions and the subtle lights of transformation that occurs deep within the storms of this life are revealed. Past, present and future simultaneously fuse together and the spirit rises. when my door stays open to the breeze see who enters the ancient friend the black pearl

About the artist Biography Cerise Gollogly, Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree Griffith University, Advanced Diploma Fine Art, Advanced Diploma Costume Design & Staging and International Floristry Design School.

Art Exhibitions Group show (sculpture), Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, QLD; The Tweed Valley Portrait Show (photography), Tweed River Art Gallery, NSW; Thuringowa River Festival (site-specific installation), Townsville, QLD Portrait show (photography), Waywood Gallery, Byron Arts Park, NSW; Out of the Box Festival (digital painting), Townsville, QLD; Earth and Sky (drawing, wearable art), Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, QLD Solo show (drawing, sculpture, photography), Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD; Percival’s Vestments (wearable art sculpture), Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD.

Art Awards First place, Wearable Arts Awards, NSW; First Place, The Northern Rivers; Photography Awards, NSW; First place, Wearable Arts Awards, NSW.

Collections The Madame Mother Ginger (wearable art), Byron Ballet; nude photography series, private collection; Masked Women (lithograph), private collection, USA; portrait, Griffith University.

PAINTING 169

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Erica GRAY Jason deCaires Taylor [detail] 2020 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

Much of my work is inspired by our natural surroundings and especially the marine environment and the creatures within. As both a painter and sculptor the vivid colours, intricate patterning and complex structures are observed in a variety of marine creatures as well as reference to man’s influence over the environment. This meshing of aquatic and terrestrial influences forms a symbolic representation of how coral and its surrounding ecosystems, once autonomous, must now cling to us in the hopes of maintaining their continued existence.

Erica works in acrylic, often painting whimsical scenes from homely landscapes, marine environments and portraiture. Pieces, often containing reference to personal experiences, as well as concerns for humanity, our environment, and the treatment of animals. Pieces part imagined – part life, often infused with pattern and bold colour.

One of my sculptor friends introduced me to Jason whilst he was in Australia, working on sculptures projects set alongside Townsville’s coast. I’ve been a huge fan of Jason’s underwater sculptures set within marine parks across the globe and I was thrilled that he agreed to me painting his likeness.

Erica’s work has been exhibited in Solid Gold, HOTA, Strand Ephemera, finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize, Tamworth Textile Triennial and semi-finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, among other national and international exhibits.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 171

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christine HALL Artist in Studio [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 31 x 32 cm

About the work

About the artist

I am currently working on a book of Artists in their studios, and part of that process is portraits of the artists at work. This is Joolie Gibbs, an artist who works in natural light and creates from natural home made papers and inks. Joolie portrays her environmental message of the local regional environment, through large and small drawings, printmaking and paper making from natural fibres. She uses botanical inks made mostly from trees on her property. This piece is 3m long and shows her love of the surrounding wallum bushland.

I am a Associate Professional Freelance Photographer specialising in Commercial and Artist Reproduction Photography, for all media types. Artists use my images for marketing, insurance and competition entry. As shown on my CV I have won photographic awards in Australia and Asia Pacific for Landscape, travel, portrait and commercial images.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 173

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christine HALL Ronnie in Motion [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 30 x 30 cm

About the work

About the artist

I am currently working on a book of Artists in their studios, and part of that process is portraits of the artists at work. This is Veronica Cay, working in motion. She is multi faceted, working in sculpture, drawing and paint. This work is drawing, charcoal and paint. Veronica’s style in her own words “is the layering of marks is a way of building and reflecting on experience – capturing presence and suggesting an absence or loss of being through obliterating the surface. The development of a personal language, as a vehicle to convey meaning and ideas, is central to my practice and an endeavour to express the fragility and frailties of life and the human condition.” She has an amazing studio with too many photos to tell one story. She is portrayed in her movement.

I am a Associate Professional Freelance Photographer specialising in Commercial and Artist Reproduction Photography, for all media types. Artists use my images for marketing, insurance and competition entry. I have won photographic awards in Australia and Asia Pacific for landscape, travel, portrait and commercial images.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 175

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christine HALL David Green Emeritus Professor [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 30.6 x 45 cm

About the work

About the artist

I am currently working on a book of Artists in their studios, and part of that process is portraits of the artists at work. A contemplative David Green, renowned artist captured in a reflective moment.

The octogenarian, immersed in his tools of trade on the Sunshine Coast, constantly combines creative cognition with deftness of hand to produce works that always intrigue.

I have won photographic awards in Australia and Asia Pacific for landscape, travel, portrait and commercial images.

Green has a remarkable ability to self-refresh. The fabric of his assignments involve new threads and strands. It was like that for him six decades ago at London’s historic Royal College of Art. All encompassing observations inked in his memory, are recorded in considered sketches in notebooks, well before commencing.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 177

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Diane HALLAM Girl Talk [detail] 2020 Photographic matt print 20 x 25 cm

About the work

About the artist

Having travelled halfway around the world to visit relations in Denmark, I couldn’t miss the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the world’s famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen.

As an amateur photographer, my interest in photography started somewhat later in life. Some of my works have featured in local and international exhibitions, magazines, and photography websites well beyond my comprehension and humbleness.

Like stepping back in time, Tivoli’s nostalgic beauty rich in culture, exotic architecture and historical buildings. A popular tourist attraction drawing in crowds all year round from all spectrums of the world, captivating the hearts and minds of everyone. A playground for the young and old, jam packed with fun filled rides, scenic gardens and multicultural cuisine. As I was walking around in a state of euphoria, I couldn’t help but capture a familiar sight, seeing the teenaged girls sitting on the bench, caught up in the matrix while checking out the latest fabs on their mobile phones ... kinda reminiscent of today’s youths back home.

Over the years, I have written various unpublished works using a combination of mediums, including poetry and photography, of late, as a creative outlet. Photography has changed my outlook by leaping into the unknown, taking each day as it comes, enjoying the moment, and living in the now. Becoming acquainted with like-minded artists in social media groups can be very inspiring as we can all learn from each other’s experiences and challenges. As new doorways begin to open, my perception of the world starts to look different. Being able to step out of my comfort zone and try something different to develop my unique style has been very rewarding.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 179

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Diane HALLAM Sibling Rivalry [detail] 2020 Photographic matt print 19.5 x 28.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

It was a typical hot Summer’s day in the small rural community of Black River when the looming dark clouds started to form against the stark skies above, the promise of much needed rain to come.

While sitting on the back patio trying to cool off, what better way to make the most of it and enjoy watching kids being kids and just having fun, a favourite past time. Miss Amelia, then aged 9 years, a born naturalist, mastering the art of swirling the hoola hoop around her waist seemed so easy, while her rival younger sister looked on with added curiosity and enthusiasm. I love the expression on her sibling’s face, as she has hadn’t quite figured it out while trying to hone in on the technique.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 181

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Amber HAMMAD 3 Disgraces after Rubens [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print and acrylics on canvas 66 x 52 cm

About the work

About the artist

Anxieties around women’s veiled and unveiled bodies have been present in almost all cultures and religions and are relative even today. From female nude figures in art history serving male hegemony and gaze, to our local context with Paulin Hanson’s burqa stunt and the success of the burkini, all suggest this subject’s relativity. This work is an appropriation of The Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens. Hammad juxtaposes 3 nude female figures with 3 variations of moderately modest contemporary Pakistani attires, simultaneously veiling and unveiling the female body visually while activating her agency of choosing to veil or not to veil her own body.

Amber Hammad is a Pakistani-Australian visual artist living and working in Sydney. She received Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Master of Fine Arts (by research) from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Her research and works interrogate women’s subjectivity, agency and attire, with a special focus of the representation and misrepresentation of Muslim female body within both the patriarchal Muslim cultures and the Islamophobic global north. She draws on her experiences of living in Pakistan and in Australia, as she uses a feminist lens to engage with various methods, tools and strategies of art making. She often includes appropriation of images and ideas from art history, self-portraiture in form of photography, performance, animation, drawing, and painting. In addition, her works often deploys a little humour and satire to critique serious subjects.

PAINTING 183

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sarah HICKEY In Residence - Portrait of Dr. Anita Heiss [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 153 x 122 cm

About the work

About the artist

A proud member of the Wiradjuri nation, Dr. Anita Heiss is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors publishing across genres including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels. She is an academic, Board Member of UQP and lifetime Ambassador of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Sarah Hickey is a Brisbane based visual artist. Her series of female idols and still life vignettes are expressions of an internal world of dreaming and reflection. The complex layering of imagery and patterns depict beauty, spiritual iconography and the feminine.

This is my second portrait of Anita and I wanted to paint her in a regal, powerful pose employing a stance and manner associated with traditional royal portraiture. The background furs and skyline reference a portrait of Queen Victoria by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. I loved the idea of Anita – an accomplished, powerful Wiradjuri woman wearing her own – ‘occupying’ this space and place. Anita is humorous, intelligent, forthright, warm, and supportive. She demonstrated a vulnerability to the process that I admired, and I felt her spirit with me throughout the painting journey.

A Griffith University Queensland College of Art graduate, Sarah holds bachelor degrees in fine arts and education, and has been employed with Education Queensland since 2002. She has had ten solo exhibitions and participated in over thirty group shows. Her work has been a recent semi-finalist in The Lester Art Prize and finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, The Brisbane Portrait Prize, The Kennedy Art Prize, Redland Art Awards, Clayton Utz Art Award, Marie Ellis OAM Drawing Prize, The Mandorla Art Award, Kenilworth Painting Prize, Lethbridge 10000 Art Award and SBS Portrait Prize.

PAINTING 185

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Emily HILL Sarah [detail] 2022 Watercolour 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

The kitchen for most households tends to be the place where problems of the world are discussed/or solved. On this particular morning my sister Sarah and I were discussing subjects like our family, how to fry eggs, and the Coronavirus. I saw her there leaning against the fridge and told her to “hold that pose.” My artist eye saw something - her posture, the warm tones, her earthy personality and the kitchen discussions with the smell of an egg and bacon fry-up. A camera could not have picked up on all those fine elements.

Emily achieved a Diploma in Art at North Adelaide Art School majoring in Ceramics and Printmaking. She also has achieved a Diploma in Children’s book writing. Emily’s most significant awards are the Townsville Art Society Awards where on two occasions she won the major award, both artworks were acquired for the City of Townsville Art Collection. The most recent being Tropical Still Life a colour reduction linocut awarded by artist Wendy Sharpe. The following year Emily along with others joined Wendy Sharpe who was giving painting workshops in Morocco. Other significant events includes two postings to PNG where on the first posting Emily received mentorship from Scottish watercolour artist Trina Bohan-Tyrie, on the second posting Emily was teaching art to expatriate and local people. At the end of her posting she had a sell out private exhibition of watercolour paintings of PNG subjects. She continues to work as an artist/illustrator.

PAINTING 187

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jennifer Marie HOCK Speaks Volumes [detail] 2022 Oil on Gesso Board (Italian) 70 x 100 cm

About the work

About the artist

Getting the inner-self and outer self captured in a portrait is the essence of my work. Nathalie, the sitter, for this current work, reminisced about her passion and love for old books and languages, which provided the link between the two. She said, “A good book is my go-to for enjoyment and relaxation. They have always been a part of me, from my formative years through university to my current career as a language teacher.” I wanted to make books part of her, not just something added to the painting, they needed to link her outer and inner being.

Jennifer Marie Hock (b. 1959) is a Townsville based artist who has been painting in different mediums for over 50 years. She completed an Education Degree in 1979 in Brisbane, and won a Scholarship with the Australian Royal Flying Art School in 1980. In 2006, Jennifer completed a Graduate Diploma in Research Methods at James Cook University and held solo exhibition of her works at the Maritime Museum, Townsville, titled Connecting the Poetic to Pictorial – the transient Nature of H20. Following this, she went on two trips to Europe (2009 and 2011) with Art Historians, and was so inspired by the art world there, that she embarked on another body of works in watercolour. This culminated in a solo exhibition at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery (2013), titled Painting Townsville without parti pri. Currently Jennifer works in oil medium and uses glazing techniques inspired by the old Renaissance Masters.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 189

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Martin HODGSON Alan [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 60 x 45 cm

About the work

About the artist

I’m a regular photographer for Townsville Little Theatre. The subject of this portrait is Alan Cooke - a longstanding actor and director with the company who has just retired from his 51 year teaching career. He is photographed directing TLT’s first production of 2021. It’s always a pleasure capturing the expressions on the actors’ faces, but here I was pleased to capture Alan’s critical expression as he directed early rehearsals of the play Opposite Sex.

I was interested in photography from a very early age and during my teenage years managed to land the prefect job as the Saturday lad at Harnett and Co, a camera shop in my hometown of Halifax (Yorkshire, UK). The shop was an Aladdin’s cave of old and collectible cameras and optical gadgets. I made a conscious decision not to make photography my career as I didn’t want to spoil the enjoyment it gave me as a hobby. Instead I stuck to the optical theme and became an optometrist. This year I posted a photo a day on my Instagram page @bodhodgson - a project that was fun and inspired me to produce an eclectic body of work.

PAINTING 191

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Estelle HOPE Brave Face [detail] 2020 Acrylic on canvas 91.5 x 91.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a self-portrait which explores my personal battle with mental health challenges as a result of suppressing childhood trauma for decades. It was painted in support of Liptember which raises money for mental health research for women through buying and wearing colourful lipsticks in the month of September. Brave Face refers to the enormous energy that is required to maintain a functioning facade for those struggling with mental health challenges on a daily basis.

Estelle studied Visual Art and Education at QUT in Brisbane, finishing her degree in Townsville for her final year. Estelle spent many years teaching art before having her 3 children. In the last year she has re launched her music and art career through The Warrior Project, an Arts Queensland funded project drawing attention to issues effecting women through the arts. Estelle spent 2021 painting portraits telling the stories of those effected by a range of issues from single mothers, to refugees.

PAINTING 193

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jude HOTCHKISS Two Selves [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 68 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

This painting is based on a series of digital sketches of myself and family members started in lockdown last year. Two Selves is a self-portrait that aims to capture a sense of complexity around cognitive thoughts and feelings. Life drawing classes have led me to experiment more with doubling imagery and repeating the same face or figure to express something more. The linework and pastel colours are influenced by the palette and facility of tablet technology, and playing with layers and forms makes it easy to record, rearrange and redraw many times over. Quickly the face can become a kind of hybrid human. This is a self-portrait where the faces have been extended and distorted but are still recognisable. It shows aspects of my persona that combines a mood and feeling with the minimum of representational detail.

During the bushfire and pandemic upheavals of the last two years my work changed from purely abstract to a more representational form. Staying at home, the values of family life and the social isolation of lockdown led to me using my own face and that of my family as a direction in my work. Drawing and painting on a tablet then, plus attending life drawing classes since the lockdown have influenced the linework, subject matter and repetition of forms. I have been able to bring the movement, imagination and confidence of abstract mark making into the textures and forms observed when looking at a real scene or object. The work is meant to look simple, effortless and spontaneous. It shows a unique perspective and takes a period of several months of contemplation to finalise.

PAINTING 195

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Yasmin HUNTER Harrison [detail] 2022 Oil and acrylic on canvas 101.5 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of my son Harrison, 12, standing in the kitchen of our Queenslander. I wanted to capture a moment in time between childhood and adolescence as he becomes more independent and begins to forge his own identity. We often stand in the kitchen and talk and the sunlight shines in through the doorway in the afternoons.

I am a North Queensland based artist primarily interested in portraiture and Australian landscapes. Many of my works are inspired by the colours of our tropical environment. I am self taught and paint in my spare time. Awards:

Percival Portrait Painting Prize (then Xstrata Percival Portrait Award) 2008: - Marion O’Shea Encouragement Award - Costel Vasilescu Encouragement Award for Young Artists.

PAINTING 197

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jan HYNES Facing forward, looking back [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 60 x 80 cm

About the work

About the artist

There comes a time when there is more in the past than the future.

Aged thirty-nine I embarked on a long held yearning to be creative through art. Four years later with a Diploma of Art and a BA (majoring in painting) the difficult task of breaking into the art world in Brisbane began. After moving to Townsville in 1996 I enrolled at JCU and studied for a Master of Creative Art degree.

This self-portrait uses the ploy of eyes peering through a visor to look back on life. A teapot replaces Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly helmet and is symbolic of the hospitality and domesticity of my past life.

Since then I’ve been active in the local art scene regularly exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts.

PAINTING 199

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christopher R. INWOOD Karen Ognibene [detail] 2021 Oil on board, acrylic on wood 200 x 126 cm

About the work

About the artist

This artwork has two display options one in full righteous colour and the other in black and white sepia! These two viewing options are achieved by two lights that are built into the painting. When the sodium lamps are turned on the colourful painting is bathed in yellow spectrum light tricking our eyes into see all other colours in black and white. This lighting effect allows the viewer to see the painting twice in two completely different ways.

Christopher R. Inwood (31) is a realistic self-taught artist based in Ipswich who extracts and records concepts and imagery from his personal experiences, the scientific frontier, the metaphysical, art history, and the digital world.

This effect also allows us to notice our perceptions of reality. Karen Ognibene is the national award-winning architect who established KO & Co Architecture. Karen’s portfolio of work includes social and affordable housing units, specialist disability and residential care accommodation, high end private residential, clever renovations, education facilities, commercial fit outs and cruise liner terminals.

Inwood has exhibited across Australia at galleries, art spaces, and festivals including UQ Art Museum, Queensland State Library, Brisbane Power House, Caloundra Regional Gallery, Brisbane Square Library, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Brisbane Street Art Festival and has been a finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize x 2, the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, the Toowoomba Biennial Emerging Artists Award, Melt Portrait Prize x 3, BAM Art Prize, Morris Art Prize and feature artist at the Brisbane Grammar Art Show. Inwood refined his understanding of art and its histories at The University of Queensland studying Art History (2016-18).

PAINTING 201

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Adam JAUCZIUS Bill Chambers, Desert Blood [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Art, nature and music have enriched my life and I always paint while listening to music. I wanted to convey resilience and creativity in Bill Chamber’s portrait; he’s a down-to-earth bushman, but also Kasey’s dad, guitarist and musical mentor. Bill has spent time in the outback - a harsh, featureless and unforgiving place to some - but he’s at home there.

I’m Adam Jauczius (pronounced ‘yow-chus’) - the surname comes from my Lithuanian/German grandmother who migrated to Australia in 1949 - and I’m a self-taught artist who’s been painting since childhood. I’m 58 and became a Technical Officer with the Bureau of Meteorology in 1983. For almost 40 years I’ve worked at remote weather stations all over Australia; while continuing to paint landscapes and portraits inspired by these remote regions. I still monitor the weather today at the Norfolk Island Station, but also have my own art gallery/shop, Norfolk Art.

With an abiding passion for roots music, and deep links to the land, Bill has ‘desert blood’ and writes starkly beautiful country songs. Working as a fox-shooter he forged his own path but kept on playing that guitar. He built campfires, sang old favourites with his family and watched smoke disappear into the darkness. The Nullarbor Plain’s gilded sunsets, vast horizons and starspangled skies have seeped into Bill’s soul, and inspired him, and I wanted to show that.

Picasso once said: “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary” and I’ve recorded my life in acrylics, oils, pastel and watercolour. My artistic career has included group displays, stamps, books, commissions, awards, eleven solo exhibitions and many portraits including four recent depictions of Australian musicians I admire: Matt Zarb, Warren H Williams, Mark Oats and Bill Chambers.

PAINTING 203

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sandra JENKINS Lilly in Iso [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 45.5 x 45.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

My eldest daughter Lilly was visiting over the Christmas holiday period and had just received news she was a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person and would have to isolate for a week. Coming from Melbourne meant she had experienced many months of lockdown, but was now yearning for contact with family and friends. I captured an image of her in this position as I thought it perfectly matched her mood. Resigned to another isolation period, spending time losing time on the web.

Sandra Jenkins was born in Devonport, Tasmania in 1969. She completed a Bachelor of Visual Art degree in 1993 and a Diploma of Education the following year, specialising in Secondary Education. She now teaches art to high school students part time. Sandra’s work is held in Australian and International collections and career highlights so far have been People’s Choice Award winner for sculpture at the Peppermint Bay Sculpture Competition in 2005 and being selected as a finalist in the Henry Jones Art Prize, 2019.

PAINTING 205

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Alun Rhys JONES John Howard [detail] 2020 Oil on linen 200 x 150 cm

About the work

About the artist

John Howard is one of the most widely recognised stage and screen actors in Australia.

Alun Rhys Jones graduated with Honours from the National Art School, Sydney in 2011. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally. Since graduating he has participated in twelve solo exhibitions and more than 30 group shows.

His career spans theatre, movie and television. He is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances in the television series SeaChange, Always Greener, All Saints and Packed to the Rafters but has a long illustrious career in theatre serving as the Associate Director of Sydney Theatre Company between 1992 and 1996 and numerous roles in plays including Shrine, Rising Water, Mongrels, The Crucible, The Life of Galileo, Dead White Males and Measure for Measure Recently he starred as The People Eater, the villain in Mad Max: Fury Road. and is currently starring as another villain of sorts, Bob Jelly in the SeaChange reboot. John took time out of his hectic schedule to graciously sit for this painting.

Alun Rhys Jones has been shortlisted for over 40 Awards and Prizes including the Doug Moran National Art Prize, the Paul Guest Prize, the Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, the Emporio Armani Commission and the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Prize. He has been Highly Commended in the Chippendale Art Prize, Clayton Utz Art Award, Waverley Art Prize and the John Olsen Prize for Figure Drawing and was the winner of the North Sydney Art Prize Painting Award in 2012. Alun Rhys Jones has participated in the Takt Kunstprojektraum Artist Residency in Berlin, received the NAVA New South Wales Artists Grant, the NAVA Australia Artists Grant and the William Fletcher Foundation Grant.

PAINTING 207

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Elise JUDD I Am The Jewel In My Life [detail] 2021 Acrylic and mixed media on board 61 x 46 cm

About the work

About the artist

Scars and damage cannot be easily seen in and on some person. From a distance this picture looks smooth but on closer inspection (or depending on the direction of the light) you may catch a glimpse of the words embedded within the painting and see all the lines and texture. This painting follows the old adage ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ because do we ever really know someone and truly see their inner value and beauty. More importantly do individuals see their own worth and realise how precious their life is to them and others.

I divide my time between my studio in Melbourne and our farm in the beautiful hills of South Gippsland. My work is a mixture of collage, painting and drawing. I like to show a mixture of real and unreal in my work. The process includes using recycled paper (collage). I like people to look at my work from a distance and then be surprised on close inspection at the execution of the work.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 209

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Vicki KATTHAGEN Claire [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 58.9 x 39.2 cm

About the work

About the artist

Claire - a life lived well, with the contours of the outback she has lived on etched on her skin, Claire enjoys her life just as she likes, and she knows what she likes, and she likes what she knows. I wanted to capture Claire living life exactly how she pleases, enjoying her independence accompanied only with the enjoyment of a cigarette, sweet sea breezes and the dappled sunshine filtering in from the lace curtained windows.

Vicki Katthagen received her Bachelor of Photography degree in 2005 from James Cook University, Townsville. Vicki specialises in macro photography using flowers as the subject and colour psychology as the motivation. Portrait photography is a departure from her usual practice, however having the opportunity to capture the essence of a person is always an exciting and rewarding experience.

PAINTING 211

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Fran KEEBLE-BUCKLE Sabine [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 110 x 90 cm

About the work

About the artist

The bright and contrasting colours of the subject’s headshot captivate the viewer’s attention. A youthful girl who is no shrinking violet, her face painted larger than life in vivid monochromatic tones of purple. She pitches forwards with open eyes and mouth, bright red lips, roaring loud. For some displaying this strength and vulnerability could be seen as a female weakness but like artists Frida Kahlo and other modernist painters, this piece is unforgiving in a non-traditional representation of a woman. Being female comes with feelings and strong emotions and this subject is proudly fierce. The juxtaposition of her face with the discordant, distinctive and somewhat gaudy bright flowers and patterns in the background provide softness and light to show a vulnerable side. This piece celebrates a young woman who should never be shamed, brought down or labelled.

Fran discovered a love for painting while living in Darwin in the mid-1990s and has continued her passion while travelling throughout Australia including time spent in Melbourne, Hobart, regional Victoria and North Queensland. Now based in North Ward Townsville, she enjoys painting in both acrylic and oil and has found her experiences working with disadvantaged and rural communities an inspiration for many pieces. In 2021 Fran entered an oil painting of Queensland’s Australian of the Year Dinesh Palipana into the Archibald Portrait Prize and feels the opportunity to meet such an outstanding leader was one of her greatest privileges.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 213

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Edward KENNEDY Isolation [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 91.3 x 60.9 cm

About the work

About the artist

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have left many people with a sense of isolation and disappearance of self.

I came to photography late in life having spent several decades in a successful IT career. I took the leap to full time photography and obtained my Diploma of Creative Arts from JCU in 2014.

This portrait shows a person who is nearly obscured. A mirrored mask hides the face and their identity reflecting back the emptiness inside. The latex suit conceals the rest of the body, shrouding it like a chrysalis waiting to emerge and renter the world at some unknown time. All that connects the person to the outside world is a breathing tube. I wanted to explore the dark introspection caused by the isolation created through COVID-19 and the sense of the disappearance of oneself as a result. In doing this I wanted to achieve a sense of surrealism inspired by Anna Maghradze and Ben Zank who create works dealing with isolation and disappearance of the face.

My goal was to become a full time commercial photographer, however health and disability put an end to that. I pursue my own interests in photography as a means of self and social expression. The photographer who had the biggest influence on me was Josef Sudek whose work was often described as dark and mysterious. I’ve had 2 pieces exhibited, both in Townsville, the first was in the 2012 Members’ Exhibition at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts and the second was a work I called Fierce and was displayed in the 2018 Pop Up Percivals.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 215

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jade KENNEDY Press Pause [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 75 x 50 cm

About the work

About the artist

Thanks to the global pandemic, the Australian music industry has been at a standstill for almost three years. Press Pause is a moment of contemplation captured during a gig in 2021. It was one of three gigs I photographed all year - normally, I would photograph that many shows in a month. This image captured Ash Grunwald’s profile perfectly, in the middle of a show, in the middle of the pandemic thus far.

I have been a working music journalist since 2001 and a self-taught music photographer since 2007. One of my live music works titled Beam Me Up, Veronicas, featuring one of The Veronicas, was featured in the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize in 2020. Previous to that, I also had a work in the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize in 2018. I have not entered any other competitions, or exhibited any work, outside of The Percivals.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 217

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rosana KERSH Fringe Dweller [detail] 2022 Photograph 100 x 150 cm

About the work

About the artist

Dr Stephen Hagan was born and raised on a fringe camp on the outskirts of a small southwestern Queensland township of Cunnamulla. Stephen woke every morning in his humble abode, the walls made up of used tin sheeting fixed onto sturdy upright tree branches and an earth floor to receive his bare feet on descending from his shared bed with his brother. There was no running water to wash away his sleep or electricity to light up the darken room. He ate from a meal prepared on an open fire by his mother and walked three kilometres to school with siblings and friends without footwear over burning hot red dirt in summer and frosty cold ground in winter.

Professional photographer, Rosana Kersh, believes it is essential to have good communication between her and her client in order to get the right shots. “I feel it is extremely important in how you deal with people,” she admits. “There is nothing worse, in my mind, of seeing all those clichéd, staged shots of weddings. ‘Stand here, do this, do that, now pretend you are doing this.’ I have seen it all and frankly, I don’t think it does anyone justice.” “However,” she says, “making the client feel at ease and comfortable makes them tell me exactly what they want. It is just being considerate. This can be especially so with a mother and child shoot or a newly married couple. Everyone is so unique and there is an essence to everyone. I love to capture that very essence. After all, it is all about them, and so it should be.”

PHOTOGRAPHIC 219

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rosana KERSH Merchant Seaman [detail] 2022 Photograph 100 x 150 cm

About the work

About the artist

Hugh said the smell of opening the beautiful and immaculate carved wooden drink chest, takes him STRAIGHT BACK to his parents having cocktail parties in Malaya … when he was a young child.

Born in Malaysia in the small town of Batu Gajah, Hugh’s infancy was spent exploring the vast rubber plantation that his English parents managed in the 1950s. In the midst of a guerrilla war that was literally on their doorstep, the estate was protected by a high perimeter fence, that was not only to keep the terrorists out but also the native wildlife. Hugh recalls many nights listening to noises of the jungle that was so close but posed no danger, the growl of the tigers and chatter of monkeys was a common nightly sound.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 221

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rosana KERSH Graduates [detail] 2020 Photograph 80 x 100 cm

About the work

About the artist

This photograph was taken in a moment between formal pictures, just after someone made a joke. You can be entertained by the photo every time you look due to the variation of facial expressions, personalities, and characters as the sitters react to the joke.

I also love the rich colours of the edit, from the rugged mountain (hill) to the vivid red trucks, the greenery, and dark uniforms, down to the gravelly bitumen car park base. It is all so textured that it feels like you can almost pull the fabric out of the photo. I love how this is not the classic portrait of one human’s head and shoulders, but instead, it is a portrait of a collective of humanity’s seriousness, joy, playfulness, and stoicism. It is an honour to photograph these people who go out daily to protect and support those in all types of crisis. It’s all in a day’s work, or even a lifetime, as many of these trainers have done.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 223

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Shannon KIRK Girl with a Lollipop [detail] 2020 Photographic print 75 x 56 cm

About the work

About the artist

This photograph is a portrait of my daughter, Persia, it is a very accurate representation of her, during the shoot she bought her own lollipop and would make use of it between shots, eventually, I took the portrait with lollipop and tween attitude in place, as it should have been all along.

I have a lifelong passion for the arts, and started my education after school in Fashion Design in Brisbane. I spent years sketching and painting portraits before discovering my true passion was in photography. My fascination with people and their faces never lessens, and I am looking forward to many years of developing my skills. My models are my family and friends and I especially feel a strong connection with children, being a mother of four. I love to feature the North Queensland lifestyle and environment as part of my environmental portraits and landscapes. In my spare time I study paintings by the old masters, and try to advance my photography skills. Although I often employ black and white to highlight composition, I have a passion for colour, and also the depiction of feminine beauty, especially in antiquity.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 225

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Lisa KURTZ Jack [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Every year I take a photo of my son on Christmas morning before he wakes. When he was younger he was an early riser, so I would have to be up before dawn. He’s a teenager now, so he likes to sleep in. This means I too get to sleep a little longer on Christmas morning, but that comes with a sense of sadness that his childhood years are gone. This portrait feels like an elegy to his lost childhood.

I am a Brisbane/Meanjin based photographic artist and my work explores concepts of memory, place and time. I have been a finalist in a number of prizes, including the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture and the Head On Photo Landscape Awards. One of my recent works was a commission exhibited on the facade of the Judith Wright Centre of Art in Brisbane. I am a graduate of the Queensland College of Art and tutor Contemporary Photomedia at Central Queensland University.

PAINTING 227

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Chantal KWAST-GREFF PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST. AGNES WOTTON, PALM ISLAND. aka A WOMAN, A VOICE [detail] 2022 Oil painting on stretched canvas framed 76 x 76 cm About the work

About the artist

Agnes Wotton is an artist in her own right. She bends the rules of traditional painting in her own way, in order to voice the social and cultural importance of being an artist.

Chantal Kwast-Greff’s work engages in the notions of displacement and belonging, of violence and survival. She evokes the scars that history has left on the bodies, the psyche, and the landscapes. The liminal question she asks is - how can we, as human beings, belong and find an identity if we cannot first put down roots safely and heal those scars, and grow healthy branches? Only then can we value otherness and togetherness.

Agnes has always lived on ill-famed Palm Island and is connected to the Daintree region on her father’s side. One of her signature-designs, which she graciously shared with me, is the sea-anemone. I use this image to represent Palm, above water and underwater, and the rainforest. The circles are the cycles of life, i.e. the layers of understanding which overlap in time and distance. PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST is about the truth of a woman - here-and-now and forever-everywhere - who validates the essence of her being and belonging. My painting is, I feel, a creative-emotional representation of what I see as a confession of dignity and a robust survival strategy.

Chantal’s artistic approach is resolutely abstractexpressionistic. Her choice of colour, the use of nontraditional tools such as palette-knife and fingers and the thick application of paint in heavy brush-strokes all concur to emphasise a strong emotional and expressive content. Chantal’s ambition is to bring forth the essence of her subject. Her work is an expression of her own emotional perception, which in turn translates onto the public so as to elicit an emotional reaction.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 229

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kellie LECZINSKA Strong Spirit, Strong Country [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 110 x 84 cm

About the work

About the artist

Many will remember Linda Burney’s powerful maiden speech as the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. With Linda I wanted to create a portrait symbolising this important moment.

Kellie is an award-winning photographic artist. Her empathetic eye seeks to explore themes which address social imbalances and evoke conversations into increased community equality and social commentary more broadly. Leczinska undertook studies at The Australian Centre for Photography, where she developed an interest in portraiture.

Linda’s first ten years were spent as a non-citizen, before the Constitutional Amendments of 1967. Linda evokes change and inclusivity, as we can never have reconciliation without social justice and constitutional recognition for First Nations People. This image portrays Linda’s courage and resilience in seeking equality and reconciliation.

Kellie has been a multiple finalist in a number of photographic prizes including; The National Photographic Portrait Prize, The Martin Kantor Prize, Head On, and the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize including winning in 2018. She was also a finalist in the Manning Art Prize, The Kennedy Art Prize (winning Foundations Choice Award), The Olive Cotton Award and National Still Life Award. Kellie has exhibited in many group and three solo shows. Her works are held in notable collections including: the collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Pinnacles Gallery and a number of corporate and private collections around the globe.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 231

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kellie LECZINSKA Stephen Coburn and Ashalina - the rescue greyhound [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 73 x 110 cm

About the work

About the artist

Australian artist Stephen Coburn is renowned for his large-scale metal sculptures, paintings, and was one of the founding members of the band Mental As Anything. He is also the son of legendary artist John Coburn.

With nature as his muse, his sculptures reference connection to the land and the environment, aptly expressing his inspiration drawn from flora and fauna in the broader Australian landscape. During our shoot we were treated to Stephen’s multifaceted artistic abilities as he generously plucked Irish lullabies on his banjo, to the delight of both Ashalina and me.

Leczinska has been a multiple finalist in a number of photographic prizes including; The National Photographic Portrait Prize, The Martin Kantor Prize, Head On, and the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize including winning in 2018. She was also a finalist in the Manning Art Prize, The Kennedy Art Prize (winning Foundations Choice Award), The Olive Cotton Award and National Still Life Award. Kellie has exhibited in many group and three solo shows. Her works are held in notable collections including: the collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Pinnacles Gallery and a number of corporate and private collections around the globe.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 233

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kellie LECZINSKA The Universe - Artist Stephen Coburn [detail] 2022 Digital photographic print 110 x 81 cm

About the work

About the artist

Australian artist Stephen Coburn is renowned for his large-scale metal sculptures, paintings, and a founding member of the band Mental As Anything.

Stephen is seated in front of his sculpture The Universe, based on Japanese taijitu and the four life elements. He then nonchalantly picked up the Fender guitar used to compose Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning and started singing their new song Rising Seas. Coburn’s conviction for nature and preserving our earth is reflected strongly in his work, “It should never be taken for granted, it is what gives us life, and this planet is our only environment.”

PAINTING 235

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Leonie LEIVENZON Figure 54b: Dissection of self [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 90 x 120 cm

About the work

About the artist

Figure 54b: Dissection of self reflects on society’s views of aging and the way, especially as women, we can tend to be highly critical of ourselves, focusing on the negative aspects of our bodies. Using the format of a diagram from a medical textbook, this work makes use of my background as a General Practitioner to convey a scientific and analytical yet deeply personal examination of myself as I was about to turn 55 years old.

Leonie Leivenzon (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her background and experience as a GP and hypnotherapist led her to reject dualisms imposed by Western society and medicine, such as the separation of mind and body. Leonie aims to strengthen connections between the diverse forces that make up existence thereby encouraging that existence to be more meaningful and less isolating. She works in a variety of mediums including painting, textiles and installation depending on what the concept demands. Leonie came to a career in art later in life, completing her Bachelor of Fine Art in 2020.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 237

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jess LEONARD Grounded [detail] 2021 Archival digital photographic print on 200gsm Ilford Fine Art Smooth paper 76 x 43 cm

About the work

About the artist

Some days you can do nothing to resist, you feel grounded, caged and flightless.

Jess Leonard is a Sydney based emerging artist in the genre of photography. Jess’s practice investigates the life and death of birds and animals arousing morbid curiosities whilst exploring the beauty in what has passed on as well as our relationship to nature and other conceptual ideas. Jess graduated from Sydney College of the Arts, a faculty of Sydney University, majoring in photo media and receiving the Dean’s Award for her year. Since then she has continued to work in the arts industry and has made the finals of numerous prizes and awards Australia wide.

But other times you can soar. I’ve witnessed so many important people in my life navigating the strange divide of mental illness. Depression and anxiety can take a blinding hold but I am in constant awe of the strength of those around me who continue to rise despite the struggles they face every single day.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 239

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anne LEVITCH ANOTHER WORLD [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 24 x 16 cm

About the work

About the artist

Utilizing a monochromatic/low resolution/high contrast approach to this shoot, I hoped to capture a broader sense of this wonderfully strong woman. On hearing the unfolding story of her life, I felt great respect for the way she had endured and dealt with both physical and emotional trauma she had experienced. Her grace and warmth radiate.

Anne Levitch’s artistic and curatorial practice centres on the visual representation of embedded cultural memory, of societal attitudes and their traces. Having recently completed her Master of Art degree, (High Distinction) her research engages with the philosophical, the psychological, and metaphysical influences of cultural heritage. She responds to these investigations with experimental 3D works, installations, drawing, print, photographic and video works.

As she recently made a major decision for change in her mature years, she wanted to celebrate her body and soul stripped bare. This image, shown exactly as taken, is my attempt to capture her indomitable spirit.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 241

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anne LEVITCH ODE TO THE ODALISQUE [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 18 x 24 cm

About the work

About the artist

Through acceptance of herself and her body in the classic pose of the odalisque, she radiates spirit challenging the viewer to see that she is much more than her body alone. This image, shown exactly as taken, is my attempt to capture her indomitable spirit.

PAINTING 243

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Corinne LEWIS Portrait of Kerrie Hess [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 180 x 120 cm

About the work

About the artist

My paintings epitomise and accentuate the female form. Drawing inspiration from classical painting traditions and all things feminine, I paint elaborately adorned women who I often dress in my own vintage collection.

Corinne Lewis has been exhibiting for twenty years in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and more recently in Perth. Her work is in private collections all over Australia. In 2016 Corinne’s painting of Anne and Vonnegut was selected in the Portia Geach Memorial Award and in 2016 and in 2018 was selected as a finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize.

Kerrie Hess however encapsulates femininity in her George Wu dress which was created specifically for her collaboration with the iconic Hôtel Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris, where she painted live in the dress on the Carrie Bradshaw hotel balcony from the final season of Sex and the City. Kerrie’s original Painting Dior Noir which rests in the background was part of her solo exhibition at Langham Sydney and represents her signature style from her prolific collection. Kerrie has been an artist and illustrator for over twenty years. She has worked with both Cartier and Tiffany & Co., and also designed the Kerrie Hess Suite for The Langham, Melbourne.

Corinne’s most recent solo exhibition was a great success at the Tweed Regional Gallery and her next solo exhibition will open in June at Anthea Polson Gallery, Gold Coast. Fashion, females, fabrics and jewellery are the aesthetic concerns of her work. Each work is dominated by a solitary female figure. Corinne’s models are her friends. She styles them in her own collection of vintage as reference for her original oil paintings. She paints full-time from her home in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales.

PAINTING 245

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Michael LINDEMAN I... [detail] 2020 Watercolour and acrylic on canvas 196 x 138 cm

About the work

About the artist

With bashful humour my self-portrait titled I… sets out to activate repressed impulses, embody alienation, disrupt convention and invert structures of power. In the spirit of opposition my masked portrait is a type of anti-selfie, swerving around the bottleneck of narcissism and attention seeking.

Michael Lindeman was awarded a BFA, Hons (First Class) in 1998 and an MFA from Cofa, UNSW, in 2004.

I… is my manifesto and therapy at once, both image and text confronting my position as an artist and mortality. Stream of consciousness self-analysis meets jarring institutional critique, I have found my zone of contemplation. My portrait uses a self-reflexive humour as a strategic tool with which to analyse cultural production and entertain myself. The brand of humour I use, an externalising of my doubts and fears, satisfies a misguided urge to be vulnerable and sincere. I… is an insight into my psyche, relying on a parallel, removed mode of presenting one’s bodily self.

Lindeman has exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions include Art Habits (2021), An Awkward Dance (2018) and Studio Chatter (2015), Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney; The Creative Act, The Delaware Contemporary, USA (2018); LA International Biennal, 18th Street, L.A. (2001); and The Lounge, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney (2000). In 2007 he was awarded a residency through ISCP, New York. In 2010 Lindeman won both the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, and the Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney. He was a finalist for the Archibald Prize in 2011 and 2013 and the National Self-Portrait Prize, University of Queensland Art Museum, in 2013. In 2013 and 2020 he was awarded the Arts Projects Grant, and the New Work Mid-Career Grant in 2016 from the Australia Council for the Arts.

PAINTING 247

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Andrew LINKLATER John and his last formal white shirt [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 102 x 102 cm

About the work

About the artist

John and the last formal white shirt.

Andrew discovered a love of painting late in life and has been fortunate to attend many artists workshops in Australia and the USA. For three years he attended the annual workshops held by the late Daniel Greene in Connecticut. Andrew now paints mainly commissions of people, places and pets. While COVID-19 has caused some issues and put some projects on hold most of the time he has been able to work around these and keep busy.

John works in IT. Prior to COVID-19, he and his colleagues worked in a central office and traveled to meetings in white shirt jacket and tie. Since COVID-19 they have each worked from their home office using video conferencing, they say never to return to the ‘old way’. While pyjamas or shorts and a t-shirt are his new dress he has kept one white shirt for old times sake. John could not be happier. This portrait of John attempts to reflect his feelings about the past and present.

PAINTING 249

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Steve LOPES Portrait of Franck Gohier [detail] 2020 Oil on hessian 70 x 70 cm

About the work

About the artist

Portrait of the artist and my friend, Franck Gohier, who is a painter, sculptor and printmaker who is based in Darwin. His punchy, immediate style, utilising bright colours, text and popular imagery belies his works’ deeper messages, drawn from a keen interest in politics and social justice instilled since childhood.

Steve Lopes is an Australian Painter. He is an Australian figurative artist. He has exhibited in 40 solo shows across Australia, London and Hong Kong. His work is collected in the National Gallery of Australia,Federal Parliament House Art Collection Canberra, State Library of NSW, Bundanon Collection, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Time Warner Collection New York, Rolls Royce London and public galleries and private collections around the world.

PAINTING 251

THE PERCIVALS 2022

William LOVEDAY Hunter [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 120 x 90 cm

About the work

About the artist

A portrait style I began in 2020, the block colouring that makes up the portrait, Hunter, is my exploration into colour. I love to break down the human face into shapes and colours and focus on bold contrasting colours. It really gives a sense of energy and a new visualisation to the human face.

I have always loved art but in 2020 I started to really explore my creative side and try to make art. I am a selftaught artist who enjoys using oil pastels and oil paints. I am trying to make art more than a hobby and make it an important part of my life. I have done art classes at The Drill Hall Studio in Townsville and taught artwork shops to both adults and kids. In 2021 I held my first solo art exhibition at The Drill Hall Studio. My exhibition was on my series Face Disarray which really kick-started my stylised portrait work. In the future, I hope to explore this style further and create a foundation for myself as an artist.

PAINTING 253

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Susan MA Ron Ramsey and Vermeer’s chair [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 75 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Mr. Ron Ramsey, the previous Executive Director of the Art Gallery Society of NSW. He has a wealth of experience in arts administration and education. He has worked in national, state, regional and university art museums in Australia and overseas.

Susan Ma - a retired registered nurse, has taken up life drawing and portrait painting classes in Julian Ashton Art School. She also attends other workshops in National Art School. Ma has practiced Chinese painting and calligraphy previously and had exhibited with the school in the NSW Parliament House. Ma is a member of the Art Gallery Society NSW since 2004, a financial Foundation Benefactor since 2010, and a volunteer guide since 2005. She conducts tours for the general collection, Asian gallery, and special exhibitions. She is a member of the Art Gallery Society NSW.

As a volunteer guide in AGNSW and through interactions I admire Ron’s calm and intellectual personality and his dedication to the institution. In this portrait I have captured Ron in a relaxed moment with a business attire. Ron took reference from Winston Churchill’s pose in the portrait Sir Winston Churchill, 1874 - 1965. Statesman (1930) by James Guthrie. The chair Ron leaned on resembles those chairs in many of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings.

PAINTING 255

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Alison MACKAY Dear Ancestor [detail] 2021 Oil on wood panel 50 x 37 cm

About the work

About the artist

Andrew Barnum is a singer-songwriter, educator and designer. He’s been releasing music for many decades, first as the Vitabeats, and now as a solo artist. His current release, Dear Ancestor is a letter to our past asking for directions for the future.

Born in the UK, now lives and works in Jervis Bay, NSW as a painter.

Looking to the past for guidance resonated with me, particularly as Andrew looks as though he’s walked straight out of a Diego Velázquez Spanish court portrait from the 1600s. I’ve painted him as though he were a 17th Century noble man, an ancestor – I think the showman in him would have enjoyed getting around in an extravagant ruff.

Bachelor of Law LLB – Southampton University. 11 Solo and 2-person painting exhibitions throughout NSW and the ACT. 20+ group exhibitions throughout Australia. 30+ finalist places in major art prize exhibitions including the Archibald, Portia Geach and NSW Parliament’s Plein Air Prize. 7 prize awards including winner of the 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize. Included in public and private collections throughout Australia, Asia and Europe.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 257

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Robyn MACRAE Mark “Black Olive” at Brungle [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 58 x 58 cm

About the work

About the artist

Bundjalung man and humble celebrity chef Mark Olive in the yarning circle after the NAIDOC gathering in Brungle NSW. The celebrations were postponed due to COVID-19 but the village (pop 112) welcomed Mark in November where he mentored young indigenous youth to prepare and serve a three course restaurant standard meal using Australian native ingredients in the bush setting.

Robyn MacRae is a photographic artist renowned for her work in education. She is a Churchill Fellow who has enabled many young people to re-engage in education due to her photographic programs that build self esteem and resilience in our most vulnerable young people. These photographic programs act as a tool for growth in all areas of life. Robyn’s personal photographic work has been exhibited across Australia in the National Portrait Prize, the Kantor Prize, the Fremantle International Portrait Prize, the Olive Cotton Award, the Canon Light Awards the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize, The Blake Prize and Australian Life. As a child of migrants her bodies of work encapsulate the investigation of what it is to be Australian and delve into the elements of belonging, self identity, and representations of modern beauty in our evolving Australian culture.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 259

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Robyn MACRAE Uncle Pat Connolly at the Wetlands [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 68 x 48 cm

About the work

About the artist

Uncle Pat is a humble man who inspires young and old. After leaving school at the age of 14 he has returned to study to learn his Wiradjuri language. Fifty years later he is attending university and in his own words “getting my language back … I’m going to pass it on to my children and their children, as it has been for centuries”.

Many Aboriginal languages were lost when Australian government policies banned indigenous people from following culture and speaking their language during a dark period in our history.

Robyn’s personal photographic work has been exhibited across Australia in the National Portrait Prize, the Kantor Prize, the Fremantle International Portrait Prize, the Olive Cotton Award, the Canon Light Awards the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize, The Blake Prize and Australian Life. As a child of migrants her bodies of work encapsulate the investigation of what it is to be Australian and delve into the elements of belonging, self identity, and representations of modern beauty in our evolving Australian culture.

PAINTING 261

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anna MANDOKI Claude [detail] 2021 Oil, acrylic and paper on linen 137 x 107 cm

About the work

About the artist

Claude is a regular life model at Melbourne’s The Art Room. I love to paint him because his face is expressive and full of character. When he sits for artists, Claude seems to go to another place in his thoughts. When I painted this portrait I found myself wondering where it was that his mind was taking him. In the background of the painting I have incorporated photographs of Melbourne buildings, as well as headlines torn from the local newspaper. These signify the layering of memory, time and place, they form a part of Claude’s and my own experience, and I imagine they provide clues as to what Claude may be thinking about.

Anna Mandoki was born in the United Kingdom to English and Hungarian parents. She has been based in Melbourne, Australia since 1995. Mandoki originally trained as an accountant, and also has qualifications in psychology and professional writing. Her creative drive was initially channelled into drawing, writing and photography. In 2018, Mandoki completed a painting techniques course at the Victorian College of the Arts, and became hooked on the versatility of oils and their potential for creative expression. In the following year she began a full time painting practice under the name Dorian. Mandoki’s art practice is predominantly focused on portraiture. Her work explores ideas of memory, place and time, and how these interact with character. Each painting consists of a complex layering of paint, newspaper cuttings and photographs. This layering process creates emotionally expressive works that reflect the depth of memory and experience of the artist and the sitter.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 263

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Michael MARZIK Teho Ropeyarn [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 70 x 70 cm

About the work

About the artist

Teho Ropeyarn

Michael Marzik is an Austrian photographer, born in Switzerland and based in Cairns. He has worked as an arts administrator, curator and regularly documents artworks for fellow artists. His photographic practice invites contemplation and various interpretations of a subject, whether it be a person or scene. He has an innate ability to capture the essence of an individual through portraiture and has photographed many artists practicing in Cairns over the last two decades.

Angkamuthi/Yadhaykana I first met Teho Ropeyarn after he had returned from his University studies in Canberra and started as an arts administrator/curator at UMI Arts in Cairns. Over the years our paths crossed often and I enjoyed working with Teho on several projects. During this time Teho developed his art practice, focusing on the essential and producing extraordinary artworks. I admire how he does his art in his quiet, very focused, gentle manner, which I attempt to depict in this portrait.

PAINTING 265

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Samuel MASSEY Self Diagnosis [detail] 2020 Oil on aluminium 100 x 75 cm

About the work

About the artist

This picture emanates from the junction of intentions and honesty. I love to paint my wife, Anneliese, Anneliese does not love to be painted. As she stoically grips an upturned vase to her crown an itchy rib elicits a distinctive gesture, a statuesque moment of poised idiosyncrasy. It is moments such as these, beyond the scope of the artists directions, that the sitter’s contribution to the art constitutes collaboration as their identity impregnates the painting turning it to portraiture.

Massey is an award-winning artist who completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at the National Art School, Sydney in 2015. In 2019 Massey made his long-awaited pilgrimage to Europe. It was here that he encountered first-hand the work of the old masters, most notably Velazquez, whose influence has led to several career highlights. That same year he won the Traditional Fisher’s Ghost Art Award and painted his evocative portrait of Archibald winner Guy Maestri. This would be hung in the 2020 Salon des Refusés to critical acclaim. 2020 also saw Massey awarded the Mayoral Commendation for his painting The Gates, the first of his dark floral works that have become an ongoing strand of his practice. One such piece was used as the album art for Sydney band The Forresters 2021 release Something to Give.

PAINTING 267

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Lisa MAY Gold Star [detail] 2021 Oil on board 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Romy Teitzel hails from Townsville and captains the town’s Gold Stars NRLW team. She is also a QLD State of Origin player. The work is mainly monochrome to highlight the maroon of Romy’s State of Origin uniform and the yellow representing The Gold Stars team. The gold stars were printed onto the work by Romy wearing her studded boots and ‘walking’ on her portrait. During Romy’s sittings we discussed the Queensland Rugby League’s commitment to making the same payments to their men and women’s State of Origin players and how this has allowed the state’s best female players to commit to the fixture without having to juggle work or other commitments.

I am an artist whose passion for portrait painting has branched into a specific interest in painting sportswomen. I love hearing the stories around their chosen profession and how their passion and commitment keeps them in the game. They, and the previous generations of equal opportunity advocates, are forging pathways for future athletes to have a fair go at participating on a level playing field. I have painted amongst others in the world of women’s sport the wonderful Susan Alberti whose portrait was a semi finalist in the BP Award. I have also been a finalist in the Doug Moran Prize and am currently painting Sam Kerr. lisamayartist.com

PAINTING 269

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Erin McCONNELL Eat Your Heart Out [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 107 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

I am driven to a fault. I have often pursued extreme goals to the detriment of my physical and mental health. In high school I participated in every single extracurricular that was offered: sports, orchestra, two choirs, public speaking, debate, leadership, volunteer work, STEM, art, poetry and Japanese competitions on top of achieving straight As. I needed to be the best at it all. I would destroy myself if it meant being the best. The colloquialism “eat your heart out” has more than one meaning. It means to feel jealousy, to pine for something unattainable, and also to be the best at something. In this artwork I am literally eating my heart out; pining to be the best and grasping at unattainable goals no matter the personal cost. In the painting, I am pale and look exhausted, but am still happy to be tearing out my own heart.

I am currently going into my third year of my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at JCU. I like incorporating my knowledge of internal human anatomy into my artworks. I exhibited in the 2020 Percival Portrait Painting Prize. I have received the 2019 Kerrie James Art Award, the 2018 Matt Clark Travelling Scholarship for junior portraiture, and was a runner-up in ArtNOW at Pinnacles Gallery in 2018. I have also exhibited artworks in the Townsville region’s Creative Generation exhibition, the Pop Up Percivals in 2018 and the Annual Apollo Bay Art Show in 2017 and 2018.

PAINTING 271

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kim McCUBBEN Fredericksfield DNA [detail] 2021 Acrylics on canvas 121 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

My Dad, a North Queensland sugar cane farmer surrounded by his trusted tools of the trade contemplating a lifetime achievement. From 1956, cutting cane by hand and owning his first farm at seventeen to fulfilling all his humble aspirations for life on the land. This artwork includes DNA from the farm by kneading its rich soil into the acrylic paint’s pigmentation. He drove his old tractor for hours, hoping his plants would grow to a sweet maturity despite the grubs who ate the roots, the cyclonic winds that twisted the stalks and the floods that drowned the crop. This thoughtful reflection encapsulates Dad’s physical and mental toll coming to a melancholy ending. A job not just finished but well done.

Kim McCubben is a North Queensland artist, educated at The Cathedral School, BA (James Cook University), Grad Dip Ed. (Griffith University). McCubben started to emulate her artistic ancestral heritage at an early age including the enjoyment of hiding clues within the storytelling aspects of her art. She creates using the juxtaposition of colour palettes from Heidelberg’s Frederick McCubbin with her key muse, Ben Quilty’s chaotic use of movement and applications. She uses acrylics on canvas or can be found behind the lens. Teaching allows her to be constantly encouraged and inspired by her students and have access to new media and techniques. She has been commended for her contribution to Arts education on several occasions including 2004 Australia Day Award.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 273

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Kirra-Lee McDONALD The Familiar [detail] 2020 Digital photographic print 107 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

I created this self-portrait during isolation in the current pandemic. During this time alone with my cat, Rango, I started to explore more into my creative side and my independence. I wanted to create something that showed my inner strength, confidence and feminine power. Witches have always been regarded as rebellious, powerful and misunderstood women and that is exactly I needed to convey. I included Rango because a good witch always has a familiar.

My name is Kirra-Lee McDonald, I am a 27 year old photographic artist. I live in Bluewater Park with my Fiancé, 4 month old son and pets. I started photography in high school and fell in love. I’ve created all mediums of art since I was a child but photography just felt like my realm. I decided to continue my education in photography after school and worked several professional jobs as a photographer as well as creating art for myself and others. I find the most excitement in creating artistic nude work, embracing the human body in every shape and size. Expressing its beauty and power has lead me to create some of my best work. I hope to continue this artistic expression for the rest of my career.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 275

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Cassandra McMAHON Beverley Dawn [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 41 x 30 cm

About the work

About the artist

Bev is my Grandmother and she encompasses many traits that I have found in myself. Not all of which have been positive. I was interested in capturing the pensiveness and melancholy that she tries to hide behind her large opinions and stoic nature. I wanted the viewer to see that she was still a woman with strength and independence but that she tries hard to not let anyone know that she struggles.

Nothing fancy here. I have always admired artists and I was largely an artistic kid and student during my schooling but as life would have it, had to cut my Bachelor of Arts and focus elsewhere. I’ve been a serving Police Officer for the last decade and I think being exposed to such large emotions, often extreme aggression or heart breaking sadness, has allowed me to reach back into an artistic space to express my thoughts and feelings. I work with digital photography but at lot of my process stems back to the creation of the mood I’m wanting to project. This begins with the curation of vintage dresses, jewelry and other mediums, such as smoke, water colours and mineral powders to influence and change the locations and sets that I work with.

PAINTING 277

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Lorraine MEINKE Self Portrait in Tartan Jacket [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 61 x 46 cm

About the work

About the artist

Self Portrait in Tartan Jacket is a painting that was very close to being abandoned. The portrait got worse before it got better. At one stage, I referred to it as ‘vampire lady’ because I looked so dead. This is when I nearly gave up. Before doing so, I decided to give it one last shot, the results of which you see before you. The portrait is not perfect; far from it. Knowing when to stop is paramount to any painting’s success. I hope that by not fussing over the portrait, I have retained some of its freshness.

Lorraine Meinke is a multi-disciplinary, Australian artist, who lives and works in Brunswick, Victoria. Lorraine is best known for her unique, hand built, ceramic fish sculptures and her ephemeral art installations that focus on environmental concerns made using found natural materials. Largely inspired by nature, Lorraine’s art practice also includes botanical watercolour illustration, charcoal and graphite pencil drawing, portrait and natural history painting in oils and acrylics, photography, relief printmaking, metal sculpture, slump glass and textiles. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Lorraine worked in a number of other creative capacities including illustration, graphic and multimedia design and landscape architecture.

PAINTING 279

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Matilda MICHELL D.A. with a copy of today’s paper [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 121.5 x 92 cm

About the work

About the artist

The conception for this painting was drawn from hostage photographs, where the hostage holds up the day’s newspaper to prove their wellbeing. Rather than show the front page, I turned the paper to show the back puzzle page, in deference to the subject’s puzzle writing prowess and his sometimes feeling ‘a prisoner of those 225 black-and-white squares’.

Matilda Michell graduated from the National Art School in 2009. She specialises in classical oil painting techniques and has won a number of prizes and residencies including the Waterhouse Art Prize, the Glebe Art Prize, the Waverley Art Prize and the Pata Paris Studio Residency. She was the recipient of a William Fletcher Foundation grant and has been highly commended in the John Olsen Prize for figure drawing and the Arthur Le Gay Brereton Draughtsmanship Award. Matilda has exhibited in both Australia and Ireland and has been shortlisted in a wide range of prestigious Australian Prizes.

The reference to hostage photos is also intended partly as a joke on photorealism, since the paper is painted in such a way as to celebrate painterly implication rather than descriptive detail.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 281

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Bette MIFSUD Family: Bette, Corin, Trevor [detail] 2021 Photographic print 55 x 116 cm

About the work

About the artist

The intention of my family’s portrait was to eliminate elements which may distract viewers from the faces of its subjects, while referring to their close interconnections.

At age four, Bette Mifsud discovered a box of family photographs that emigrated with her parents from Malta after WWII. Their power and strangeness of drove her to take up photography at age ten.

Each head is life-sized to equate with that of the viewer.

Bette holds a, Bachelor of Visual Arts, Master of Fine Art (Honours 1), Doctorate of Creative Art.

I have been a visual artist for 38 years, as well as educator and art administrator and curator. I work in photo-media and installation. Corin Shearston is the drummer of three bands, Magma One, Trash Baby and earprojector. He writes for Loud Online, The HAZE Mag, is youth editor for the Sydney Sentinel, and is completing a Communications degree. Trevor Shearston has been a writer for 43 years. He has published one book of stories and ten novels, and currently working on new novel. I am 63, and Trevor is 75. Corin is 25, and on the threshold of his adult life. We live and work on Dharug and Gundungurra Country.

Her practice includes, photo-media, multi-media, installation, and environmental art. Bette taught photo-media at university for 22 years, and also worked as an art administrator and curator. Bette has had numerous solo exhibitions including at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and The National Museum of Fine Art in Malta. Group exhibitions include, the Lady Fairfax Photography Prize, Australian Perspecta, Citigroup Photographic Portrait Award; National Photographic Portrait Prize, Olive Cotton Portrait Award (twice). She has exhibited in Amsterdam, Berlin, Malta and Tokyo. Bette has received numerous grants and awards, with artworks held in private, corporate and public collections.

PAINTING 283

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Danielle MILNE There is Nothing Like a Dame (of Decriminalisation) [detail] 2020 Oil on board 110 x 120 cm

About the work

About the artist

Julie Bates is a Sex Worker Rights Activist and Sex Worker. In 2018 she was awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen’s birthday honours for ‘distinguished service to community health, particularly through harm reduction programs for sex workers and people who use drugs illicitly, and to those living with HIV/AIDS.’ As principal of Urban Realist Planning and Health Consultants, Julie provides specialist planning advice to the sex industry. As an ‘out’ sex worker, Julie was a foundation member and an inaugural manager of both the Australian Prostitutes Collective NSW and the NSW Users and AIDS Association in the 1980s. She served on the Australian National Council on AIDS advising the then PM, contributed to the first Australian National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and was a consultant to the World Health Organisation.

Danielle Milne is an emerging artist based in Brisbane. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Queensland College of Art in 2020. In 2019, Danielle was one of 11 students selected for an artist residency at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. In 2017, Danielle was awarded the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence. In June 2022, Danielle will be having her first solo show at the Grey Street Gallery in Brisbane.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 285

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Dan MOLLOY Jordan Kahu - Triumph & Frustration [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 100 x 150 cm

About the work

About the artist

Jordan Kahu, Brisbane Broncos and North QLD Cowboys NRL player - 2011 - 2021.

Brisbane based freelance photographer specialising in commercial, portraiture, fashion and advertising. I use photography as a means to document the world around me. I like to create imagery that call attention to things that other people often overlook. I love to tell peoples stories through striking portraits that can sometimes be confronting to look at but also start conversations around equality, racism and mental health.

This portrait represents both triumph and frustration. The triumphant beating of the chest represents the epic celebration of scoring a try on the footy field and the frustration and anguish in his face represents the emotional internal battles he faced from being sidelined due too a series of serious injuries which required surgeries throughout his 9 year career. Kahu said, “Dealing with the physical pain of the injuries was one thing to deal with, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the mental struggle & frustration of being off the field, however your weakest moments are your greatest opportunity to learn”.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibition at MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture 2021 hosted by The Brisbane Powerhouse Silenced in the Shadows exhibited 25 portraits.. Ernst & Young inter-firm Queer Art Exhibition October 2021 - 5 pieces. All Out Queer Art Festival in Liverpool, England hosted by MTV 2020 - 2 pieces. Awards

MELT Portrait Prize winner 2019.

PAINTING 287

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Emma MOORE You are nature [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 122 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

My painting demonstrates that showing skin doesn’t equal being provocative or sexual; it could simply mean cooling down or being confident in one’s own skin. When I showed people my reference picture, concerns were raised about how it could be viewed as ‘inappropriate’. These concerns inspired me to question; Is it my clothes, pose, my body or skin that’s provoking? I came to the realization that it has nothing to do with me at all, but rather the viewer or society. I don’t see myself in that manner, so why should anyone else?

I am Emma Moore, I was born and still live in Townsville and am currently in grade 12 at Southern Cross Catholic College. Since I was young I’ve always been interested in art, as I have grown I have continued widening my skills and have entered into competitions like the local eisteddfods, where I have placed ever since 2011. I was an entrant in the Archibald Prize (2021), had a painting showcased in the Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art NQ Regional Exhibition (2021), sold my first painting as a live painter at a school function and have received subject awards in both visual art and design.

While I was painting, I had opportunities to change my body; I could’ve made myself skinner, smaller, covered my scars and bruises, but instead I took time to do every detail. I appreciated every aspect of myself in hopes to inspire other women to not have the need to hide or change anything about themselves either.

PAINTING 289

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Guy MORGAN Moving Forward – Portrait of Enrique TOPO Rodríguez [detail] 2020 Oil on canvas 101.5 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

Author and impresario, Enrique (Topo) Rodriquez holds the rare distinction of playing international Rugby Union for three different countries – Argentina (country of birth), Australia (his resident country) and Tahiti as guest representative.

Guy Morgan has permanently distorted eyesight after suffering a retinal detachment in late 2011. Works from his #afterretinaldetachment series were selected for the 2013 and 2015 Archibald Prize. Subsequent portraits have appeared in the Salon des Refusés, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and many major Portrait Prizes across Australia.

I asked Topo to pose for me as if he were about to join a rugby scrum – but painted him in his business attire with a symbolic background of blue sky. The posture portrays the attitude and expression he necessarily adopted as a front row forward at the pinnacle of world rugby. It is also an allegory for the challenges those who experience depression need to overcome on a daily basis. Topo is co-founder and MD of the AustralianArgentine Business Council and is CEO, BIPOLAR Education Foundation.

In October 2019 his work appeared in the Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hong Kong. Guy was invited to be part of Last Seen (lastseen.com.au) by the Queensland Eye Institute Foundation as one of nine artists to have their work displayed and auctioned at GOMA in Brisbane. The work then went on public display at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. In May 2017, Guy joined the Board of Arts Access Australia (the peak body representing disability in the arts). He holds a Master of Studio Arts from Sydney College of the Arts and also served on the Academic Board.

PAINTING 291

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Guy MORGAN If only you could see what I’ve seen through your eyes. Portrait of Thomas Delohery [detail] 2020 Oil on canvas 76 x 51 cm About the work

About the artist

Thomas Delohery is a Ballarat based Irish/Australian artist and teacher with over 40 solo exhibitions worldwide. His art practice mainly concerns the human figure in conflict.

The title of this work references three areas: 1. Tom’s subject matter 2. One of his favourite sayings, and 3. The fact that he acknowledges living with the daily uncertainties of post-traumatic stress disorder, which he is fighting with an Irish wit, heart of gold and his good nature. Tom is the recipient of a Distinguished Talent Visa from Immigration Australia to stay and work in this country.

PAINTING 293

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Guy MORGAN Self-portrait in the age of pandemic [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 76 x 51 cm

About the work

About the artist

At the start of the year, I had a plan for 2021 and beyond. The pandemic kept going and going, and with continuing isolation, I began altering my practice radically to better fit the future ...

With COVID-19, it’s not just that we all have to look outwards, we have to look at ourselves, re-examine what we do, research the opportunities there are (and will be), and examine the practice we wish to embark upon. Then cross our fingers and move on …

In October 2019 his work appeared in the Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hong Kong. Guy was invited to be part of Last Seen (lastseen.com.au) by the Queensland Eye Institute Foundation as one of nine artists to have their work displayed and auctioned at GOMA in Brisbane. In May 2017, Guy joined the Board of Arts Access Australia (the peak body representing disability in the arts). He holds a MSA from Sydney College of the Arts and also served on the Academic Board. In June 2021 he established an art gallery in Surry Hills, opening the doors in mid-October.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 295

THE PERCIVALS 2022

John MORLEY Pendulum [detail] 2020 Gelatin Silver print 50 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

Pendulum attempts to capture the joy of play, the moment between the upswing and down, the split second pause where you get to look out at the world around you, before rushing on with your ride. In a world now defined by pandemic and lockdowns, the image is meant as a reminder to enjoy every moment.

Practitioner of many of the forms of film photography, with a special interest in black and white portraiture and instant film - though not exclusively. Observer and photographer of the natural and human worlds. Keenly interested in the sciences, arts and humanities. Friend, partner and parent. Finalist, National Photographic Portrait Prize 2021.

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Mary MORRIS My friend and friend [detail] 2020 Oil on canvas 92 x 62 cm

About the work During the late 80s and early 90s we shared laughter, hardship and discovery, also as friends and business partners of an inner city coffee shop, around the “recession we had to have”. Many years on we look back and share the same fun and friendship. During all that time, Townsville has more than doubled in size and the city heart as we knew it is very different, and also there are numerous coffee shops springing up everywhere, not just in the city - times change, but true friends do not.

PAINTING 297

PAINTING 299

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Desma MUNRO Painter Painting The Percival [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 102 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

Painter Painting The Percival was an easy choice as Mel is a painting mate. We spend weekends painting for hours, sharing ideas. Age has no barrier. We were together when she was painting her entry and I decided to paint Mel as my portrait. The side view shows her concentration and depicts the special bond and love she has for her subject, her sister. The way her hands are composed guides the eye around the canvas. The placement of her left hand resting softly, at the ready for that quick blend. My medium of choice is water mixable oils blended with fast dry/painting medium allowing overnight drying to continue with further layers. Some dry brush technique is also used. I use soft blending for detail incorporating looseness in areas such as her hair and pants. Mel will often wipe her brushes on her pants.

I am mainly a self-taught artist and have painted since I was 16, after being introduced to oils. My passion has grown with establishing my style which I consider to be realistic. I have expanded from oils to all mediums, but my fist love is oils. I travel in my bus painting our country with its amazing colours and light. One such place is the Flinders Ranges, returning to this place many times to paint. Lately I have been offering lessons on the road to give travellers the chance to not only look but to SEE their surroundings. This has been very well received. I have been lucky to have won many awards throughout my life. I do commission work and private sales with many returning to add to their collections. One commission was a very large painting of the Collinsville Pit Pony, which was reproduced as a mural in the town.

PAINTING 301

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Desma MUNRO Dazza [detail] 2022 Acrylic and oil on canvas 76 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

Having stayed a month at Dazza’s camp at Opalton, I decided I wanted to do his portrait. He is well known for his kindness, generosity, and so passionate about all aspects of opal mining. I listened, watched, learnt, painted and photographed every day. I choose hot outback colours for the background, wanting the cool skin colours to radiate from the canvas to bring this larger than life character to the fore. His hands are huge, in testament to hard work. Acrylic was used for the background to force me to paint quickly, finishing in water mixable oils. A two-part mixture of quick dry and painting medium was used to allow for further layers. The opal around his neck was highlighted with bronze paint to replicate the iridescent colours of the opal.

I am mainly a self-taught artist and have painted since I was sixteen, after being introduced to oils. My passion has grown with establishing my style which I consider to be realistic. I have expanded from oils to all mediums but my first love is oils. I travel in my bus painting our country with its amazing colours and light. One such place is the Flinders Ranges, returning to this place many times to paint. Lately I have been offering lessons on the road to give travellers the chance to not only look but to SEE their surrounds. This has been very well received. I have been lucky to have won many awards throughout my life. I do commission work and private sales, with many returning to add to their collections. One commission was a large painting of the Collinsville Pit Pony, which was reproduced as a mural.

PAINTING 303

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Cherelle MURPHY Matt [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 75 x 75 cm

About the work

About the artist

The subject is Matt Liotis of Home Hill. I asked his wife if he would sit for a portrait.

I did lead-lighting for many years until I experienced eye problems. I couldn’t cut glass anymore and did nothing for a couple years. My neighbour then introduced me to art. I found a new pleasure and hobby. I do love to paint and I want to be daring and try all aspects and angles.

I have not painted a portrait but I wanted to know if I could achieve a successful likeness. Due to his work commitments as a harvester Driver during the sugar crushing season sittings were limited. When he did come, after painting for a while I took photos to work from when he wasn’t available. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to paint Matt.

PAINTING 305

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Elizabeth NELSON Portrait of Artist Mark Dober (with Yellow Jacket) [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 76 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

Portrait of Artist Mark Dober (with Yellow Jacket) was painted entirely from life over many sittings in my studio. That the subject is my artist husband made this possible (usually it is only myself who is available for portrait painting, hence my ongoing series of self-portraits).

I am a painter, and my work is grounded in observation. I live in Castlemaine, a goldfields town in central Victoria. I work in two genres: self-portraits in oils from life in my studio and large multi-sheet paintings on paper in the landscape. I view my painting, both portraits and landscapes, as giving expression to an essential humanism that recognises painting from life and from nature to be an emotive and intellectual art form.

Instead of looking into the mirror it was Mark that I scrutinised intensely, carefully building the portrait with patches of colour. The painting is a compilation of many moments of looking over many days. It records in tone, colour and line my subjective experience of seeing as well as intimacy and engagement. My portrait harmonises and contrasts shades of the primary colours of red, blue and yellow. By this chromatic palette I have sought to achieve a subtle vibrancy that brings life and vitality to the portrait as a painting.

My work has been shown in prizes including the 2021 Lester Prize, 2020 Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting, 2020 Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Prize, 2019 Percival Portrait Painting Prize and 2019 Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize. I have held solo shows of my large landscape paintings in Melbourne at Red Gallery, C3 Contemporary Art Space and Gallerysmith Projectspace.

PAINTING 307

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Robert O’CONNOR Molly Turner [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 168 x 122 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of Molly Turner, a visual artist from lutruwita/Tasmania.

Robert O’Connor is a Hobart/nipaluna based visual artist whose work embraces ambiguity and complexity as subject matter via methods of collage and détournement. Through a scrambling of histories, he positions himself as a dirty footnote to the “grand narratives” of painting.

Compositionally the work uses some basic Raphael-like tricks [such as the use of strong diagonal composition lines leading upwards]. Thematically the work is a quasi-inversion of the Cupid and Psyche story, in particular, the version painted by William-Adolphe Bouguereau that has been forever been hanging in the stairwell of Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Man, I despise that painting so much ...

O’Connor has exhibited nationwide and undertaken several international residencies in France, New York, and Chile. He was awarded the Glover Prize in 2020.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 309

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Glen O’MALLEY Mark Evans - Paronella Park [detail] 2021 Photographic print 30.5 x 45.7 cm

About the work

About the artist

Mark Evans has revived Paronella Park, originally a garden built by José Paronella for his wife, Margarita, but accessed by the Innisfail population as a communal area. After Paronella’s death, the park, although still well used, slowly fell into disrepair. Mark is slowly restoring it, but more importantly has made it well known again as a popular tourist destination. Mark, with his wife, Judy, have become Paronella Park’s guardians.

Glen O’Malley has lived in North Queensland for over 30 years with continuing connections to the area all his life. He has regularly exhibited nationally and internationally. O’Malley has had over forty solo exhibitions in Australia. He has shown in over 175 group exhibitions. He was one of nine artists in the 1981 inaugural exhibition at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, and since then has frequently exhibited there. In 2019-20 Perc Tucker Regional Gallery showed a retrospective exhibition of his career, What is a Dream? His current work has a surreal edge, but is built on a strong basis of documentary photography. Landscape and environment are as important as people in his work. He has also worked collaboratively with other artists, produced artist books and multi media events.

PAINTING 311

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Yasmin PATERSON Antic [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 90 x 70 cm

About the work

About the artist

Alexandra Antic is a South Australian multidisciplinary artist, teacher and lecturer at the University of SA. I chose to paint the artist in the process of repetitive mark making from studies and sittings working outside my studio. Antic moved to Australia seventeen years ago from her home in Belgrade, Serbia. Antic’s own work explores the experiences of relocation, of place, memory and the challenges of communicating in a new language. Antic spoke of the difficulties of not being heard, of having to repeat oneself over and over in the spoken word. I wanted to express the personal power of the artist through a focused gaze caught in the act of repetitively writing a phrase. This work is about the futility of repeating oneself, over and over until the marks eventually developed their own rhythms and patterns and transformed into a meditative drawing.

Yasmin Paterson B.Ed. (Fine Arts). Exhibited in solo and group shows in South Australia, 1979-2022. From the Flinders 1990, Riddoch Art Gallery, Mt Gambier. Andamooka 1996, Greenhill Gallery, Adelaide. Finalist, Black Swan Prize Portrait Prize 2018. Finalist, Royal South Australian Society Prize 2015-2021. Award winner, Port Art Supplies RSASA Portrait Prize 2021. Finalist, 9x5 Landscape Prize 2015-21. Represented in private collections. Visual and Performing Arts leader Brighton Secondary School. My work explores visual responses to composition through colour and form in painting. I am particularly interested in working from observation on the interpretation of figurative subject matter. I am always aiming to build a composition built through structural scaffolds and recording a visual perception of the subject as I see it.

PAINTING 313

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sid PATTNI Self Portrait #2 [detail] 2020 Acrylic on canvas 143 x 121 cm

About the work

About the artist

As an Indian-Australian, I stand at the intersection of two cultures, unsure of how to grapple with my mixed identities. I have often dismissed the beauty of my culture in order to assimilate into Australian culture. I have bleached my black hair to make it look more blonde, I have worn coloured contact lenses to mask my brown eyes and I have stayed out of the sun in the hope of getting lighter skin. Each mark that obscures my face is a symbol of the sacrifice I have made in order to assimilate. Self Portrait #2 seeks to examine my unease of discovering the beauty in my own heritage.

Sid Pattni is an Indian-Australian artist who was born in London, raised in Kenya and currently resides in Western Australia. His studio practice seeks to tell specific stories of identity, culture and belonging. Pattni’s work has recently been selected as a finalist for the Lester Prize, Blake Prize, Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize & Kennedy Prize.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 315

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Andrea PAULKE Innocence [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 42.0 x 59.4 cm

About the work

About the artist

Capturing the innocence of a child at bath time by utilising the golden hours of light before sunset.

Long time hobby photographer, I have taken on special occasion photography for family, friends and paid clients. My experience dates back to when I first picked up a camera during my senior years of high school and fell in love with the way you could tell a story through the lens.

Unlike photographing an adult, often times when photographing a small child it is more important to capture the moment than set up a shot. That being said it was important to face the child towards the light source to highlight their eyes which I chose to be the main focus of the image. The saying, a picture speaks a thousand words could not be more evident than in this precious moment, as I try to imagine what those soulful eyes are taking in.

PAINTING 317

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Marco PENNACCHIA Tay [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 121 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

In this painting I wanted to show the beauty of the body, with a reference to classical art, using warm tones and contrasting chiaroscuro sources; the anatomy of the human body, the movement of the muscles and the strong contrast of colors and shadows that derive from them.

My name is Marco Pennacchia and I was born in Italy in 1995. I have been passionate about drawing and art since I was a child, I studied sculpture disciplines and then dedicated myself to oil painting a few years after graduating in 2014.

An intense gaze, pleased and relaxed; the arms are extended upwards, moving delicately in each other while a dark red cloth wraps around her waist. I wanted to create an optical illusion that made the eye move on different points in the painting, from the breast, to the gaze, to the moving hands.

Arriving in Australia in September 2019 I discovered a big interest in other techniques, including acrylic and chalk, and improving my skills with murals. I won the first prize of Yarram Chalk Art Festival in 2021 and also in the 2022. My specialties are in portraits and realism; with an interest in classical and Renaissance art, with the study of anatomy and the movement of bodies, I love to express myself through them.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 319

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Claudia PHARES Motherwork [detail] 2021 Type C print 40 x 50 cm

About the work

About the artist

Motherwork is about acknowledging the invisible labour entailed in raising children. Mothering is a discipline just as art is as it involves critical thinking. It includes nurturance, protection, and training of the children. Yet, there is a prevailing lack of recognition surrounding what it means to be a mother today. Rising beyond the myth of the good mother, the patriarchal construct of motherhood is challenged to make a place for real motherhood. Being a mother is complex and multifaceted and has evolved beyond essentialism.

Claudia Pharès is a French-Canadian of VietnameseEgyptian descent based in Naarm (Melbourne). Her art practice includes photography, sculpture, installation, performance and video. It is framed around autobiographical events that have challenged her sense of control. Becoming a mother is such an event. While using matricentric feminism, she seeks to expand her roles and responsibilities as an artist/mother. Claudia has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Athenaeum Club Visual Arts Research Award (2019) and the Incinerator Art Gallery Award for Social Change (2018). She has been a recipient of the City of Yarra Grants (2018, 2020). She holds an MFA (2020) from the Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne) and a BSc in Nursing (2004) from Laurentian University (Canada). Claudia lives in Naarm/Melbourne with her two children, and also works as a nurse.

PAINTING 321

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Simone PICCIONI Musica [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 165 x 135 cm

About the work

About the artist

The idea is to place together three sources of life, the female, nature and music. I wish not to emphasise not only the beauty that each clearly represents. They are all united harmoniously together through the strength that they give to the earth and to each of us via their various channels of existence.

Simone was born and raised in Rome, graduating and attending the Rome Academy of Fine Arts. Now living and working between Rome and Sydney, today his paintings are part of the many important private collections such as the Prince of Qatar, President of Italy, Bvlgari and they adorn suites of prestigious hotel chains and luxury residences all over the world. Over the years Simone has found a purpose through his paintings: committing himself to show how our society is beautiful, or how he wishes it would be seen - there is always beauty to be magnified.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 323

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rebecca PIERCE Spin Cycle [detail] 2022 Digital photograph, Aqueous Pigment Ink on metallic photo paper 100 x 75 cm

About the work

About the artist

We survive on a planet that spins around the sun, we all live through the cycle of life some longer than others, monthly our bodies (if female) runs through a physical cycle that guarantees the next generation, on a daily level we complete routines and rituals, on an enjoyment (or for some punishing) level we join a spin class – aren’t we all on a spin cycle?

Painting as my base, I also embrace photography and sculpture. Portraiture with the face as a landscape, a common theme. Through opposing colours, diversity of medium and extreme contrasts in texture I attempt to harness tension and friction. Sans formal training I have been a practicing and exhibiting artist for 18 years, represented in Australia and Asia.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 325

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Rebecca PIERCE Limitations and Controls [detail] 2021 Digital photograph, Aqueous Pigment Ink on metallic photo paper 70 x 106 cm

About the work

About the artist

From waking to sleeping every day we all face quandaries and challenges. These are often set within societal, cultural, familial and our own personal parameters. Minute by minute we face the question to race, to mitigate, to stop or to cease. Nothing is ever still and each day we face limitations and controls, that as individuals we can choose, to rally against, work with or harness to our own benefit.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 327

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Emily PORTMANN Aftercare, Action 4 [detail] 2021 Archival pigment print 100 x 120 cm

About the work

About the artist

Aftercare, Action 4, is a photographic works exploring our relationship to wellness and self-care through an emotional and psychological context, as well as a physical embodiment. Utilising the ideologies behind the self-care and wellness movement, I enact with layers of pink bubble wrapping, cocooning and containing my head within a protective and cushioning shield of plastic air pockets. These coverings allude not only to actions associated within care and aftercare but also fetishised connotations within binding and encasing. These bodily coverings mirror journeys undertaken with mental health and self-care, exploring methods used as part of a reflective and regenerative aftercare process, as well as the push and pull of a commercialised and commodified wellness industry.

Emily Portmann, born Sydney 1982, is an autobiographical artist, exploring self-portraiture predominantly through a lens based practice. With an interest in body politics her work has been exhibited across Australia and Singapore. She has been a finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Galley QLD for 2021 as well as The Fisher’s Ghost Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre NSW and The Lake Prize, Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie NSW in 2020. Portmann held two solo exhibitions for the series Hold Tight, Cool Changes, Perth and Woollahra Gallery Sydney in 2021 and has an up and coming show, Aftercare, for PhotoAccess, Canberra later in 2022.

PAINTING 329

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Judi POWER THOMSON Nancy Tingey OAM [detail] 2022 Oil on stretched canvas 91 x 75.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

Nancy Tingey founded the Tingey Painting with Parkinsons art therapy program in 1994, which is now recognised worldwide, to combine her career as a practicing visual artist, curator and educator while caring for her husband who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 46. Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1996 enabled Nancy to further study the therapeutic benefits of art for people with Parkinson’s. Nancy wrote the book Magic Happens - the story of Painting with Parkinsons (which rests on her lap here) which is used throughout Australia as a teaching guide. TPwP classes are run in Canberra, the South Coast and New South Wales. Nancy has received awards in the USA and Japan for her work in this field including the World Parkinson Coalition Robin Elliott Award, the ACT Chief Minister’s Award and Order of Australia in 2019 for Service to the Community.

My art training began at the National Art School in Sydney and continued in Canberra with advanced studies in the USA. I have been a practicing visual artist for four decades as well as curating various art shows, teaching regular classes for 10 years and currently running workshops both in the ACT and NSW. I have been a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Prize several times, the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize, Walkom Manning Art prize, the John Copes Portrait Prize and the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize. Winner of the Brindabella (Canberra) Art Prize and Goulburn Traditional Art Prize and received many first prizes in all mediums including Champion Exhibit at the Canberra Show. I have had five solo exhibitions and participated in 17 shared exhibitions and my work is held in collections at the Canberra School of Music and Department of Education.

PAINTING 331

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Judi POWER THOMSON Command Performance [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 102 x 102 cm

About the work

About the artist

Leonard Weiss is Musical Director/Conductor of the Canberra Youth Orchestra, the National Capital Orchestra, the Canberra Qwire and the ANU Choral Society. He was the 2016 Young Canberran of the Year. He has received 22 Awards in the last 10 years. From the moment I first saw Leonard Weiss conduct, I was mesmerised by this young man’s fluid hand movements and energy. As an artist who has painted over 70 individual musicians over the past 15 years, I have learnt that hands are their signature, unique and vitally important. the same can be said of the conductor. In this work I have endeavoured to capture the gentleness and strength of Leonard’s hand movements and intense concentration of this remarkable young Canberra conductor.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 333

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Danish QUAPOOR Noah at night [detail] 2021 Archival digital photographic pigment print on Hahnemühle German Etching paper 40.5 x 30.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This work captures a tranquil and jovial moment in the quiet hours of a night in late 2021. The subject and the artist conversed, laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, basking by candlelight in suburbia. The couple often convene under the stars in the artist’s small backyard, listening to music and the sounds of the neighbourhood.

Danish Quapoor is a multidisciplinary artist based on Gurambilbarra (Townsville, QLD). Quapoor’s sparse compositions, colour schemes, personal iconographies and subject matter unify his practice across his use of diverse media. The artist slyly explores concepts of identity, relationships, religion, sexuality and morality, including contradictions, absurdities and frustrations within these. He has completed numerous solo, collaborative and group exhibitions, studio residencies, workshops and murals, predominantly in Queensland and Victoria. Quapoor held a solo exhibition at the Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA), Ballarat in 2018, and has illustrated 17 collections of African Children’s Stories (Dūcere Foundation). He holds a Master of Arts & Cultural Management (University of Melbourne), and Honours and Bachelor degrees in Visual Arts (University of Southern Queensland). He has works held in the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery collection and private collections in Australia, USA and Germany. Quapoor is also a Gallery Manager and Curator with interests in recontextualising collections and forging collaborations.

PAINTING 335

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Irene RAE The Girl in the Kimono [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 120 x 85 cm

About the work

About the artist

The artwork is of a young girl wearing a kimono. The idea was to paint a portrait that had more meaning to me - a portrait first but also a girl wearing specific clothing. I chose the material and made the kimono just for this artwork.

I am a Townsville based artist. I received a Bachelor of Visual Art from James Cook University. My art is generally figurative in nature, often portraits and figure drawings of family and friends. I have been a finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize since 2014, receiving a Commended for my portrait of Artist, Jill O’Sullivan in 2018.

My model posed on her balcony. I faded out the surrounding trees leaving her the ‘star’ of the painting.

Recently I was introduced to still life painting via a workshop I did with a Cairns artist. I have since completed a variety of ‘still life’ and ‘flower’ paintings that will form part of a group show later in the year. My preferred medium is ‘oils’ but as a practicing artist, I delve into pastels and printmaking choosing the best medium to express the my idea or that of a client.

PAINTING 337

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Marion REID The Dancer [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 100 x 80 cm

About the work

About the artist

Subject: Suzie Searight The Dancer.

My creative inspiration came while studying Art at Swinburne S.C. where I was introduced to the N.G.V. I continued study in fashion design, art, life drawing, oil painting and portraiture a special interest of mine. Viewing the Awesome Achievers: Stories from Australians of the Year exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery I was inspired to paint Terry Ryan senior weather forecaster to enter the 2016 Archibald Prize and offered a place into Hidden Faces - The Victorian Salon des Refusés.

During 2020-21 while participating in Dancenorth plus The Ann Roberts School of Dance, I was taken by the awesome talent of my teacher. Suzie is a contemporary dancer, teacher plus choreographer for Ulysses Dancers, Charlie and the chocolate factory productions. Performing in the ensemble 2022 The Little Mermaid in Townsville. Suzie’s sparkle while dancing and seeing her light up as she spoke of her dance experiences during the portrait process is the essence of my portrait of her, ready to leap into the colours of the music.

PAINTING 339

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Larissa REINBOTH Observation [detail] 2022 Gouache on panel 35 x 28 cm

About the work

About the artist

This painting features the founder and director of perinatal bereavement care charity Possum Portraits, where resident artists draw commemorative keepsake portraits of babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death for bereaved parents free of charge.

MA Illustration and Book Arts, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge UK, 2016.

This portrait subject is hence continually confronted by the reality of death. The shadow of this immutable force ought to hang over her like a leaden weight. While heaviness is discernible, this portrait really tries to capture another emotion: intrigue. Holding sway against the jarring finality of oblivion are the twin towers of intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of self-knowledge. The rigours of these pure and honest pursuits constitute the only bulwark strong enough to withstand the gravitational pull of sorrow. Painted in tempera, the most mutable and transient painting medium of all, Observation is at once defying finality and humbly accepting the ultimate victor in the battle with death.

BA Fine Art, Bolton University, Manchester UK, 2009. Solo exhibition Colgado por Ligereza, 2010, Galeria Chavez de la Rosa, Peru. ECIS Award for International Understanding, 2006. Children’s book author and illustrator represented by UK literary agent SP Agency since 2017.

PAINTING 341

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Caity REYNOLDS A Difficult Period of Little or No Significance [detail] 2020-2022 Oil on polyester 120 x 90 cm

About the work

About the artist

A Difficult Period of Little or No Significance presents a self-portrait as an unstable space of vulnerability and intimacy. Viewers are invited into the artist’s studio, peppered with signifiers of failure and anxiety. Tumbling figures, paintings-come-thought bubbles and studio artefacts mark an anxious and doleful negotiation of self and space. Investigating how through self-portraiture the private becomes public, this work attempts to expose the ways in which social expectations unduly mar our experiences with shame and disappointment. Although moderately self-indulgent in nature, and vaguely selfdeprecating in content, this work queries the social mythos and philosophical implications associated with failure.

Caity Reynolds is an artist, writer and researcher based on Bundjalung land in Northern New South Wales. After completing her Bachelor of Fine Art (honours) in 2014 at the Queensland College of Art she co-founded Outer Space Contemporary Art in Brisbane and acted as director and curator from 2016 - 2019. She has exhibited nationally and internationally including at MetroArts, The Brisbane Powerhouse, CraneArts in Philadelphia and OurHouse in London. Working across painting mediums, small sculpture and text, her work explores the socio-political structures and economic systems that can alienate and subjugate. Utilising humour, play, satire and confession, her practice examines this through depictions of the defamatory, shameful, morose, pitiful or sad experiences that colour everyday life. Subject matter includes, but is by no means limited to, mattress stains, failed relationships, stolen soaps and condiments, grazed knees, unpaid bills and unwashed towels and buttered bread falling face forward into a years’ worth of foot traffic filth and under cabinet scrapings. She currently works as the Exhibitions and Collections Officer for the Regional Gallery in Grafton, New South Wales.

PAINTING 343

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Melissa RITCHIE Linguistic Feminist [detail] 2020 Oil on linen 80 x 120 cm

About the work

About the artist

Cal Wilson is a New Zealand stand-up comedian living in Melbourne. She is a regular on Australian TV including Have you Been Paying Attention and Hughesy, we Have a Problem. Cal also has a Netflix comedy special and is a children’s book author. Most recently, Cal entered the jungle on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Melissa Ritchie is an Australian based visual artist, who is well known for her realist style paintings and unique portraits. Most recently, she has established herself as a painter of comedians, having painted Rhys Nicholson, Nazeem Hussain, Urzila Carlson, Luke McGregor, Fiona O’Loughlin, Akmal Saleh, Susie Youssef, Matt Okine, Arj Barker and more.

Cal is an intellectual comedian and a master wordsmith. Her comedy dissects language that has often been used against women in a patriarchal power play, like ‘slut’, ‘pussy’ and ‘feisty’. She pulls them apart, spins them back, and reveals them for what they are ... just words. She does it with such comedic talent that we never hear those words the same way again. I have painted Cal holding a paper doll chain. On the paper and surrounding her, are her words in her own hand script, in bold colour representing her vibrancy.

Melissa has been a finalist in many of Australia’s art prizes including the Archibald Prize, the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Portia Geach, Kilgour, Shirley Hannan, Lester Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize and the Doug Moran (semi-finalist). Born in Georgia, USA, Melissa grew up in Australia and paints from her Illawarra based studio on the NSW South Coast. Melissa is a member of the Illawarra Association for the Visual Arts (IAVA), an organisation that supports and promotes contemporary visual arts. Melissa has been actively involved on the IAVA Committee since joining the organisation in 2014, and is the current President.

PAINTING 345

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jack RODGERS Dad Bod - Self Portrait With Burp Rag [detail] 2021 Acrylic house paint on board 122 x 91.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

I made this self-portrait during the Queensland lockdown in July, 2021. Our second daughter was 7 months old and not sleeping very well, we were running on caffeine and not much else. In this painting, I am attempting to capture a sleep deprived, frazzled combination of feelings I had. Nervousness about the uncertain future we are all facing but also love and gratitude to be home with my family.

Jack Rodgers is a Brisbane based artist. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Art at Griffith University Queensland College of Art with a double major in painting and drawing. He was a co-director of the influential Brisbane ARI Addition. His most recent solo exhibition, Breeze Machine, was held at Wreckers Art Space in Brisbane in June 2020.

PAINTING 347

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jenny RODGERSON Solitary Figure No.4 (self portrait in green coat) [detail] 2021 Oil on linen 153 x 137 cm

About the work

About the artist

In this painting I wanted to create a sense of tension as the figure was holding itself bundled in a green leather jacket. I created a yellow background to create a sense of unease. I wanted to create a strength within the intensity. There is often a lot we hold onto and this self-portrait was really about holding onto oneself and allowing the feeling of strength within the vulnerability.

Jenny Rodgerson has been exhibiting for a number of years and currently exhibits with Australian Galleries in Melbourne. She has been a finalist and highly commended in several art prizes. More recently she has been a finalist in the Arthur Guy Memorial Award in Bendigo Regional Gallery 2022 and the Portia Geach at the SH Irvin Gallery in Sydney. She is a previous winner of the Portia Geach Memorial Award and the Percival Portrait Painting Prize.

PAINTING 349

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jennifer ROSNELL Ken Done [detail] 2021 Oil on board 62 x 46 cm

About the work

About the artist

Ken Done an iconic Australian artist that Jennifer had always wanted to paint. Known for his beautifully vibrant paintings that express his love of colour and Australian beaches and reefs. In 2019 Townsville was host to a solo exhibition by Done Paintings You Probably Haven’t Seen: Selected Works 2000-2017 at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.

Jennifer is based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and holds a BFA at the College of Fine Arts University of NSW majoring in life drawing and oil painting. With a passion for painting the face and figures she became a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Award in 2020 & 2021. Jennifer first met Ken at a school exhibtion at the age of 14 the first famous artist she ever met. Fast forward many years later she was honoured at the opportunity to connect with Ken at his home studio in Chinamans Beach during lockdown. A busy artist and business man he swims daily and loves nature. Ken a busy barefoot artist at 81 years young he is humble, kind, passionate about life, art, his family and living in Australia.

Inspired by Ken’s love of colour Jennifer has built up layers of oil paint with brush and palette knives to create a landscape of colour to create his skin tone. He has such a warm, engaging face with his trademark moustache. He brings the joy of colour to all his paintings and Jennifer wanted to reflect this in his portrait.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 351

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Mike RUTHERFORD Warrior Woman [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 73 x 55 cm

About the work

About the artist

Dr Emma Lee, a trawlwulwuy woman from Tasmania, Australia, is a fierce fighter for Indigenous fishing rights and Constitutional Reform. She is the first Indigenous Australian Recognised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the UN’s statutory body for the conservation of nature. Emma often wears ochre to her meetings with largely white government department heads to give her power and to remind those who meet with her that her people were here thousands of years before white settlers. This image is meant to portray Emma’s strength and vulnerability.

A former advertising and commercial photographer, Mike put the camera down in the early 2000s, taking it up again in India two years ago. How work now, uses digital manipulation to turn photographs into moody, dark, painterly images that portray both the artist’s interpretations while allowing the viewer to project their own imaginings into the depiction. Since 2020 Mike has won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Art Festival, Second Prize in the New York Center for Photographic Art Black and White Awards and exhibited in group shows in Texas, Greece and at the Los Angeles Center for Photography as well as having a solo show, Vital Signs (an interpretive exposition of the seen). He is also a finalist in the 2021 National Portrait Gallery Photographic Prize and was a finalist in the 2020 Percival Photographic Portrait Prize. He also exhibited in the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 353

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Mike RUTHERFORD Emma Lee Flying [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 52 x 73 cm

About the work

About the artist

Dr Emma Lee is an Indigenous academic, activist and a proud trawlwulwuy woman from Tasmania, Australia. She is a founding architect of Reset the Relationship, a novel approach to the contract between Tasmania and its First Nations people. Dr Lee adopted a form of “love-bombing” politicians, flipping the idea of having an adversarial relationship with government to one of kinship and kindness, openly thanking White Australia for its genocide and dispossession. Her passion, commitment and new ways of thinking have led to enormous inroads in gaining Indigenous fishing rights, parks reform and a Voice to Parliament. Using a kangaroo skin as wings Emma is portrayed here as flying into the future.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 355

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Mike RUTHERFORD Portrait of a Hip Hop Artist [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 72 x 53 cm

About the work

About the artist

ConpleXx is a Melbourne based hip hop artist and rapper. In late 2019 he signed a deal with a label, had gigs lined up for all of 2020 - then COVID-19 happened. Since then he has yet to play to a live audience. What is a musician without people to play to? I wanted to show him, a very modern, young man in a way that is almost painterly, like an Old Master. Showing that artists always struggle regardless of the times they live in.

PAINTING 357

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Danielle SALVEMINI Shadowplay [detail] 2020 Acrylic on canvas 72 x 62 cm

About the work

About the artist

Danielle Salvemini’s work displays a long practiced interest in portraiture as it involves exploring the human character and inner essence of the subject. Combining traditional painting techniques with contemporary design, Danielle’s exploration of the intricacies of character represents an admiration for her brother and his love of music. Through utilising a kaleidoscopic use of colour, the work has been composed so that there is a dynamic balance between empty space and detailed brushwork thus creating strong visual effects in a two-dimensional form. With an emphasis on creating a connection between the image and viewer, in this work she seeks to appropriate the language and imagery of music by capturing the sense of sound and movement in each colourful brushstroke.

Danielle Salvemini is a contemporary artist who creates rich visual portraits that explore elements of music, film and photography. Since graduating from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW where she majored in painting, her work has featured in multiple exhibitions across Australia including the Hunters Hill Art Prize where she won the Nora Heysen Award in 2015 and a Highly Commended Award in 2016. In 2012 she won the Big Day Art competition with her drawing of Noel Gallagher. Since 2008 her work has featured in exhibitions including the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Gosford Art Prize, Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award, Hornsby Art Prize, Wyndham Art Prize, Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award, Drummoyne Online Open Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery Art Prize, Prometheus Visual Arts Award, Blacktown City Art Exhibition and The Other Art Fair. Recently she was selected as a finalist in the upcoming Art Edit Self-Represented Prize.

PAINTING 359

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Georgina SAMBELL Barbara in the good chair [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 112 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

I wanted to portray Barbara my aunt sitting amongst a fern that once belonged to her mother and nestled in with her animals (although these ones are garden ornaments) against the backdrop of her house which seemed to me as a child to constantly change colour. Barbara is generous and loving and I wanted to reflect her that brightness of spirit in with colour.

Georgina Sambell has completed an honours degree (first class) in fine art at Monash University. She recently was the winner of The Warrnibald Prize, a local award based in Warrnambool and has previously been a finalist in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize. In May 2022 she will hold her second solo exhibition at The F Project Gallery in Warrnambool.

PAINTING 361

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anthony SAWREY Portrait of a young woman [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 107 x 66 cm

About the work

About the artist

To consent to your portrait being painted is a brave step. Especially if that work is potentially going to be open for public viewing. I always had that concern in the back of my mind when I sought a subject. As it turned out I could not have found a better person to realise what is in effect, an intimate collaboration. Pixel is a confident young woman and being captured in oils at a significant period of her life held no terrors for her. Her composure is self assured, her gaze even and relaxed. I could not have got a better subject for the kind of portraiture I’m interested in. I seek nothing more than what she has presented to me at this time in this place. No accoutrements. No props. No reason for being, just being. Thanks again for working with me.

Anthony Sawrey was born at Southport and grew up in south east Queensland and Victoria. Influenced by his artistic parents, he followed the family tradition and has been involved in many areas of visual arts practice since the late 1980s. His formal education includes studies in ceramics and sound engineering along with graduating with a B.F.A from Sydney College of the arts (2004-07) and a Master’s degree completed at Victoria College of the Arts (2008-09). Anthony’s principal focus is painting, both on canvas and via large outdoor environment installations. He has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows around Australia including Sculpture by the Sea (Bondi, Sydney), MARS Gallery (Melbourne), c3 Contemporary Art Space (Melbourne), and Lorne Sculpture Biennale (Lorne). He has been a recipient of grants such as Catalyst—Australian Arts and Culture Fund, Regional Arts Development Fund and received a Fauvette Loureiro Traveling scholarship in 2007. He currently lives in Bullarto, Victoria.

PAINTING 363

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Katika SCHULTZ George [detail] 2020 Watercolour, watercolour pencil, oil based ink on Stonehenge 70 x 50 cm

About the work

About the artist

Throughout 2020, I invited people in my local area to come and sit for me while I painted their portrait for an hour or two. Over one hundred individuals participated in this project. Each person came and sat in my studio or connected with me over video conferencing as I sketched and we chatted. I enjoyed getting to know people in this way, my empathy and understanding deepened and I developed an intimate documentation style, involving watercolour paintings, photographs and mono types.

Katika Schultz is a multidisciplinary artist interested in psychology, mythology and art’s role as a catalyst. A fascination of textures and surfaces has led her to a multitude of materials with extensive training in painting, drawing and printmaking and is currently completing her masters at the National Art School in Sydney. Katika’s portraiture and figurative works lend a thought to magic and the unseen, working from life and memory to layer the complex human image. Katika is regularly chosen as a finalist in prizes such as Mosman Art Prize, Waverly Art Prize and was the honourable winner of Northern Beaches Art Prize in 2019. More recently Katika has won three grants and two artist residencies.

George is a carpenter and fisherman in my community, he is a helpful fellow and is as kind as they come, his smile is contagious and he is always up for a yarn. I exhibited these works back to the community and felt a sense of resilience and hope. By connecting with one another and celebrating the everyday human during a time of uncertainty was healing and transformative.

As an advocate to outsider art, Katika started an artist run space in 2019 called Yaw waY, to exhibit local talented artists and create a platform for them to network and support one another through.

PAINTING 365

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Michael SIMMS Chloe [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 61 x 51 cm

About the work

About the artist

The subject of this portrait is Chloe Zuel - an Australian theatre actress who is currently starring as Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton the Musical. Chloe has previously starred in productions of West Side Story, Six, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, and many others.

Michael Simms is a multi-award-winning artist based in Sydney whose work is characterised by dream-like depictions of the human figure. Ranging from traditional portraiture to explorations of identity in the digital age and queer culture, his diverse paintings and drawings combine elements of classicism, romanticism, surrealism and psychology. Michael completed a degree in psychology in his hometown of Adelaide before winning a scholarship for Sydney’s historic Julian Ashton Art School. In 2018, he was awarded the Royal Art Society of NSW Young Artist Prize, the inaugural SBS Portrait Prize, and the EBNA Portrait Prize. Michael has been a finalist in several major art awards, including the Doug Moran, Black Swan and Kilgour prizes and has put several notable Australians onto canvas such as Thomas Keneally, Liz Ellis, Paul Capsis and Genevieve Lemon.

When I’ve seen Chloe perform on stage, I’ve always been struck by her magnetic stage presence - full of strength and energy. When we met off stage for this portrait sitting, Chloe was warm, generous, full of life and humour. These are the qualities I attempted to draw out in this painting.

PAINTING 367

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Peter SIMPSON MY LADY [detail] 2020 Oil on canvas 92 x 72 cm

About the work

About the artist

My wife Pamela passed away 5 years ago, (after 48 years married), I wanted/had to capture on canvas a look that I wanted to remember forever as MY LADY. I took this photo while my wife was nursing our first born on her lap many many years ago which provided me with the look/expression I wished/have captured on canvas.

Born in London UK and has lived in Townsville most of his life, is a largely self taught artist, except for high school and various work shop classes, he paints mainly in oils for his own pleasure, portraits of family and friends and has exhibited some of his work at the 2019/20 Rollingstone Art Community Exhibitions including the 2020 Percivals Portrait Painting Prize as a finalist.

PAINTING 369

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Todd SIMPSON Still Screwed Up [detail] 2021 Acrylic on canvas 61 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

When I was thinking about this artist’s statement I was tempted to make something of the ambiguity of the title along the lines of the literally screwed up image and a figuratively, lockdown induced psychologically damaged artist. Far from being scared by months of the Melbourne lockdown I was fortunate to have endured it with relative ease. The truth lies somewhere between attempting to find an interesting approach to tackling a self-portrait and being no more ‘screwed up’ than usual.

Melbourne based, New Zealand born Todd Simpson is a contemporary realist artist. Todd studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney and practices in the fields of sculpture, portraiture and painting. He has been a finalist in numerous Australian and New Zealand Art awards including the Darling Portrait Prize, Black Swan Portrait Prize, Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award (2018 People’s Choice Winner), Kennedy Art Prize, Bluethumb Art Prize (2020 People’s Choice Award) and the NZ Adam Portraiture Award (2020 Highly Commended Award).

PAINTING 371

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Belinda SIMS I am not your Botticelli- Self Portrait of the artist in Frida Kahlo’s first portrait [detail] 2021 Oil on board 45.7 x 35.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

Frida Kahlo considered her first self-portrait for her boyfriend to be a physical replacement of her presence before injury. On the back she wrote “HAUTE IST IMMER NOCH” – “today always goes on.” She referred to herself in it as his “Botticelli”- an ownable Kahlo always present. As a self-portrait, I however am extending the eternal present to myself, but defying the premise of the Botticelli for an outsider. This portrait is a permanent record of a sharp and real moment, of a woman post ruin not before, who like Kahlo is her own woman but does not want an owner.

Belinda Leigh Sims worked at a Bondi based Cartooning Studio as the head caricaturist and illustrator for 6 years after she graduated from the College of Fine Arts, Sydney. After art school, Belinda has had several comics published with Christian Education Publications and independent collaborative producers. She went on to develop her artistic style after moving to western Sydney in 2009 to work as an ordained youth and children’s minister at an Anglican church, and a freelance artist, illustrator and designer. Her work with families in the Blacktown area and subsequent move to country NSW has motivated her to pursue her artistic research into visual representation of the complex inner lives of people.

PAINTING 373

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Belinda SIMS Judge Abundita [detail] 2021 Oil on board 45.7 x 35.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

Abundita was a Roman Goddess of abundance and plenty. As a woman in 2021, particularly an obese woman, it is easy to have a complicated relationship with judgement. I am fine with myself and I am not. I’m inviting judgement by my community in exposing myself for this self-portrait, but also challenging anyone who would stand in judgement of me, and simultaneously judging myself.

Belinda Leigh Sims worked at a Bondi based Cartooning Studio as the head caricaturist and illustrator for 6 years after she graduated from the College of Fine Arts, Sydney. After art school, Belinda has had several comics published with Christian Education Publications and independent collaborative producers. She went on to develop her artistic style after moving to western Sydney in 2009 to work as an ordained youth and children’s minister at an Anglican church, and a freelance artist, illustrator and designer. Her work with families in the Blacktown area and her recent move to country NSW has motivated her to pursue her artistic research into visual representation of the complex inner lives of people.

“Women are judged for choosing to have children or not have children, to have children and go back to work, to have children and not go back to work, for being too thin, too fat, too pushy, too unambitious, too hot, not hot enough or even for just daring to be alive, therefore women have stressed that everyone can go fuck themselves.” – The Mash Report, BBC. Judge Abundita is both an invitation and a declaration. An “I dare you,“ and a “please don’t hurt me.”

PAINTING 375

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Marie SMITH Nanna’s Funny face [detail] 2020 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

Nanna’s Funny Face is a self-portrait. My three-yearold granddaughter loves to pick up my phone and take photos. After many photos of the floor, knees, rubbish bins, sky and the like I decided to show her how to look at the required subject and take a photo. We practiced by taking photos of Nanna pulling funny faces. These photos were used as reference for several paintings. This is my favourite.

My work is an expression of both colour and texture and is a great escape from the world of letters and lines which were hallmarks of my distant career as a screen printer and sign writer. Predominantly, I draw inspiration from the great outdoors and have visited many places in Australia and abroad but mostly I enjoy portraiture. While painting portraits I try to capture the essence of the sitter rather than a photographic likeness. My workshop is an evolving display of quite different effects, background materials, various media as well as my expanding interpretation and exploration of quite varied subjects. I hope you enjoy the work I am presenting today in this exhibition. E-mail: marie_21@bigpond.com Facebook: Marie Smith and Marie Smith Art page Instagram: mariesmithart mariesmithart.com

PAINTING 377

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Karen STEPHENS MINER 2 [detail] 2021 Acrylic on Khadi paper 29 x 41 cm

About the work

About the artist

Miner 2 is a contemporary portrait that belongs to a large collection of recent paintings that celebrate my family connection to the discovery of opal and opal mining in Queensland. In the collection - Fishing for Landscape, I examine the bodily and psychological connection between the professions of the Opaler and studio painter. The simplistic portraits are intentionally faceless so that the viewer can see themselves in a state of endless searching. As a painter I often catch myself working in a deep, concentrated state of mind where I forget my surroundings. The Opaler works isolated underground with limited vision and a heightened sense for sound. The ladder is symbolic to show the depths at which the Opaler and studio painter reach to discover unique and unknown treasures. Only through utilising portraiture in a horizonless landscape could I faithfully demonstrate the internal drive of these hidden occupations.

Karen Stephens is an Australian painter living and working in Winton, Queensland. Karen attended Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art, graduating with Honours in 2017. She is represented by GALA Gallery, Rockhampton. Karen has been the recipient of several prestigious awards including winning the Flying Arts Alliance’s Queensland Regional Art Awards (2016), presenting two billboard sized artworks on the Outback Way Outdoor Gallery, a major cross-cultural arts and infrastructure project on the Plenty Highway, Northern Territory (2020- 2022) and most recently Karen is one in three Central Queensland artists to receive a placemaking commission by the Rockhampton Museum of Art. In 2020 Karen was selected as one of twelve emerging and established essay writers from across Australia to be included in the peer-contribution collection publication made possible with funding from the Gordon Darling Foundation to detail the strength, history and content of Rockhampton Museum of Art’s collection.

PAINTING 379

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jodi STEWART Self-portrait on a Bad Day [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 30 x 30 cm

About the work

About the artist

Self-portraiture is an opportunity to explore the wide variety of human emotions and experiences. This small work talks about the times when things aren’t so good. Globally, the last few years have seen unprecedented experiences, pandemics, bushfires, severe weather events, as well as political debacles, which are reflected in the lives of most individuals in one way or another.

I have been an artist for over 30 years with my work being selected for prizes including the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize and the Portia Geach Portrait Award. My sculptures have been selected as finalists in the Alice Prize, the Manning Art Prize and the Tom Bass Sculpture Prize. I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Sculpture, at the National Art School, Sydney, in November 2015 and was offered an artist’s residency at Clifton Pugh’s Dunmoochin, where I lived and worked for almost three years. The themes of drapery and landscape continues to inform the majority of my work.

PAINTING 381

THE PERCIVALS 2022

James STICKLAND The Power of Perry [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 150 x 150 cm

About the work

About the artist

Sam Perry is the winner of The Voice Australia, he controversially won by looping his voice. Singing during his sitting for me showed me the 2 sides of Sam, the placid quiet boy who welcomed me transformed into a man of passion for his art. The way he expressed himself with his hand, the intense focus in his eye, The Power of Perry! Multiple sketches of himself looping into the one only seemed fitting to create the looper.

James Stickland is a portrait painter working mainly in oil paints, he has found himself wanting to learn, create, share and experience all the world of ART has to offer. “My aim as an artist in this short life we have is to liquefy emotions to canvas ... dramatically”. Finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize (2021), The Lester Prize, Perth (2021), Percival Portrait Painting Prize (2020), Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award (2020), Queensland Figurative Award (2021), and people’s choice in the Eclectica Art Awards, Cooroy (2019, 2020, 2021).

PAINTING 383

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Liz STUTE Smokin hot [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 102 x 76 cm

About the work

About the artist

Growing up fashion magazines were my storybooks. These images left an indelible mark on me as fashion is a recurring theme in my work. I recall two observations. The first being the portrayal of fashionable items as a desirable way of life. Secondly the images were presented as de rigueur despite what was being showcased or advertised. I present this tongue in cheek. I paint myself stylish but with a garish oversized bow juxtaposed against the nonsensical. The stole’s fox upstaging the sophistication of the image, by discreetly smoking a cigarette.

I am a portrait artist and have been honing my skills over many years. I have been fortunate to have been a finalist in many prominent National awards. Most recently the Portia Geach Award 2021 where my painting was acquired. My painting which hung in the Lester Prize is featured in the published book Through the Artists Eyes.

PAINTING 385

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Liz STUTE A second past midnight [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 91 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

The portrait is of my mother. She has a zest for life that could match anyone younger. In society the elderly are often overlooked. I wanted to portray Jessie who is an elderly woman and frail as determined and strong with conviction, someone to be revered. A new day has possibilities despite your age.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 387

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Julie SUNDBERG Danny Diptych [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 50 x 66.7 cm

About the work

About the artist

Danny Abood was a member of the ground-breaking 70s performance art troupe Sylvia and the Synthetics. I have mapped out Danny’s life through photography since meeting him in 1986 and his death is part of that. As a performer, Danny revelled in going beyond what others were comfortable with.

Julie Sundberg is a Sydney based photographic artist, with an academic background in art history and literature. Julie has decades of experience in education, stills photography, arts management and community work with a longstanding interest in social justice and storytelling. Her professional life has seen her work with vulnerable people and communities: inmates, the unemployed, the homeless and others relegated to the margins of society. Insight into the human condition takes visual shape in a broad art practice. Julie has concentrated on long-term projects related to time, memory and gender for many years. Empathy for those on the margins runs through Julie’s art practice and in her most recent work it is directed toward the landscape itself.

Danny called me when he went into Palliative Care. Despite no longer being able to speak clearly, he asked me to bring my camera when I visited him. Bearing witness to my friend’s suffering was harrowing and confronting, but I honoured his wishes. The last thing he said to me was: “We always said we’d do this to the end”. Left - Danny prepares for our first drag shoot, 1987. Right - 3 days before his death, 2021.

Julie regularly exhibits her work, and has been a finalist in Australia’s most prestigious photography prizes. Her work is held at HOTA and in private collections in Australia and internationally.

PAINTING 389

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jahla THOMPSON Auntie Molly [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 60.5 x 50.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This piece is done in acrylic on canvas. I set up a warm light to highlight the subject’s features and skin tone. I have been inspired by indigenous beauty and therefore I chose my Auntie Molly as the subject. In this piece I have captured my Auntie as a symbol of strength and hope. Molly is grieving the loss of her partner. Her eyes hold both pain and strength as she ventures into life as a single mother. The light shining on her face symbolises stepping away from the darkness.

I was born in Townsville in 2005 and from the moment I could hold a pencil I have been driven to create art with many different mediums. I see every surface as a blank canvas waiting for my art to spill onto it. I work as an assistant art teacher and have been attending classes since I was 8. Recently I have mostly painted acrylic pieces from my home in Airlie Beach. People are my favourite subject matter to paint. I welcome this opportunity to engage with portraiture and share my expressions of a subject who is close to me.

PAINTING 391

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Stephen TIERNAN Jeff Horn [detail] 2022 Oil on wood 60 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

This image captures Queensland boxer Jeff Horn. On 2 July 2017, the former school teacher shocked the world when he beat the legendary Manny Pacquiao to become the WBO welterweight world champion. Bloodied and bruised Horn announced his presence to the world of boxing to become Australia’s new Golden Boy of sport. Win or lose, Horn thrills the crowd with his courage and determination which was on display in his last fight in front of a Townsville crowd in August 2020.

The artist is a current serving Queensland police officer who took up painting in 2014 after sustaining an injury whilst at work. He is in his final year of university, studying a Bachelor of Fine Art. The artist has been shortlisted for a number of Art prizes including the Brisbane Portrait Prize and Archibald Salon des Refusés.

PAINTING 393

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Misha TRIVEDI Stuck In The Sand [detail] 2020 Acrylic on paper 41.5 x 29.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

My artwork depicts my brother, lamenting his dire situation, stuck in the sand. He adorns a look of defeat and repentance, when really all we were doing was having fun at the beach. I have watched him grow and encounter the challenges that life throws in his way. But I can’t stress the importance to sit back and allow yourself to become stuck, to take a break from the interminable change of times, and with that I present this work.

I have been attending James Ruse Agricultural High School since 2017. I was shortlisted for the John Villiers Art Prize 2022, participated in the Westmead STEM/ ART volunteering project: Science Arts Explorers (a project to create a better environment for young people coming to Westmead Hospital, NSW), am Founder Member and Vice President of Ruse Art Club (80 members), planned and painted several murals across James Ruse Agricultural High School, and participated in a 2019 curated art exhibition held by Sydney Art School, Hornsby. I work towards a goal of standing for the rights of others and generally giving back to society as a whole, whether it be physically or written in my art. I am aiming to study Fine Art and continue the exploration of using traditional art methods to explore contemporary concepts and methods of artistic practice through travel and exposure to cultures and various social movements.

PAINTING 395

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Chloe TURNER She is the Movement [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 81 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

As an artist, I aim to encapsulate culture and community in my work. The subject matter of this piece was to present a portrait with a presence of power, implied by the halo-like lines. I aimed to make a portrait that embodied the strength and beauty of our diverse cultures through depicting my friend in her traditional clothing. I wanted to portray a friend, symbolizing the implicit richness of diverse cultures. Whilst approaching the portrait with darker lighting, this element was utilized to give the portrait a serious tone, thus appointing authority and power to the youth of today. I chose to paint with oils as to link the traditionalist fine arts with progressive and diverse modern representations of our society. My goal of this piece is to empower diverse minorities in advocating and expressing their voices in our future.

Chloe Turner is a multi-disciplinary artist who primarily works with oil and acrylic paints. Growing up in Townsville Australia, Turner first gained experience in the arts through her schooling years and remains surrounded by the visual arts in her educational environment. Now inspired by contemporary works of international figurative painters such as Anthony Cudahy, Naudline Pierre, and Rae Klein, themes of community and representation often occur in her work. Turner creates to uncover the links and losses in our history with our present experiences as a society. Recognized as first place in the Mercy Partners Student Art Prize, Turner connects her experience with high school education and expressive portraits.

PAINTING 397

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Steve TYERMAN And Roughly I Proceed [detail] 2022 Oil on board 29 x 25 cm

About the work

About the artist

I wanted to paint a self-portrait in front of the mirror, entirely from life, with no preparatory drawing or underpainting and in one hit with thick paint and palette knives. A risky endeavour! This way of painting is always a compromise between the result you’d like and what you can make the paint do. I wanted the paint surface to be vital, expressive and quite abstract, but still to catch something of a likeness, and therein lies the compromise. The serious look on my face is more a reflection of intense concentration and panic than of taking myself too seriously. I think there should be just enough things correct to make it a portrait and enough things wrong to make it a painting, but ultimately this is an honest and immediate response in paint to the face I saw in the mirror during those three hours.

I am a full-time professional artist living and working in the hinterland of the Gold Coast. I predominantly paint landscapes and throw in the occasional selfportrait just because I’m always around. My main aim with painting is to get closer to how I actually see and experience the world around me. I have been a finalist or semi-finalist in many art prizes such as The Brisbane Portrait Prize, The Moran, The Tattersalls Landscape Prize, The Queensland Figurative, Stanthorpe Art Prize, The Sunshine Coast Art Prize etc. I am represented by Anthea Polson Art and Montville Gallery in Queensland, KAB Gallery, Mist Gallery and Michael Reid in NSW.

PAINTING 399

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Jim VAN GEET Dr. Helen Haines MP - seeking truth [detail] 2021 Oil and gold leaf on linen 91 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

My portraiture has always been about the personal connection between the artist and sitter.

Jim van Geet is a professional artist living in N.E. Victoria

A sitter’s personality and background become evident during lengthy conversations whilst I sketch and make notes. It gets interesting as we become comfortable with each other and their life story is discussed. It is then that I decide on the overall concept for the painting which will best describe them. Then I’ll do a large photoshoot and together with my drawings and notes the painting is designed. The canvas is prepared ready for the sitter’s return when I do a contour drawing on the canvas and start the painting. Further work is done in the studio from my reference material and then completed with a final sitting.

After completing a Diploma of Applied Science and working as a Technical Advisor to Patent Attorneys, he then undertook a Diploma of Fine Art, became a Furniture Designer and manufacturer and continued to paint. He was Principal of the Black Range Art School and inaugurated the King Valley Art Show and Festival in 1996 as well as convening the Campfires against Cancer major charity art show in Albury in 2003. Sought after for commissions, especially his portraits, his paintings grace the walls of residences in Australia, Britain, France, U.S.A. and Holland. Jim is a multi-award winner and a regular entrant in the major portrait exhibitions such as the Archibald Prize, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Percival Portrait Painting Prize and The Lester Prize.

PAINTING 401

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Julie VERNON The Other Side of Mark the Monger [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 121 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

Many people have highly stressful positions in the workplace and need interests outside the stresses of work to unwind and find some peace.

I studied visual arts at TAFE between 2001 and 2004. This ignited my smouldering passion for art and I can no longer imagine a time where painting and drawing don’t exist in my world.

Mark the Monger works in a high paced and stressful job, where he is responsible for leading staff, maintaining product levels within the business and providing their products to many other businesses. We all have a side of ourselves that we don’t share with the world. The side that allows us to disconnect from the everyday and recharge ourselves. The other side of Mark the Monger loves the peace of the uncluttered world in the country where he shares a special relationship with his dogs. This painting clearly shows the loving relationship between man and dog with the connection of the eyes and the gentle touch of hand. This is part of Mark’s way of disconnecting and recharging.

I often accept commissions for both portraits and pet portraits. I am working on a body of works about my journey with my husband through our struggle with his dementia. The works begin with the beginning of our time together and follow the progress of his disease and the affects it has had on our lives. I am hoping to exhibit these works to both educate the public and possibly provide some comfort to others who are in similar circumstances. This continues to be a rather slow process, but which has helped me enormously to deal with my feelings throughout this journey.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 403

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Lilli WATERS Last Days [detail] 2020 Archival Pigment Print on Fibre Rag Paper 112 x 94 cm

About the work

About the artist

Depicting the female form in landscapes that are eerie and post-apocalyptic in their starkness - rough-hewn incarnations of the Garden of Eden - this series draws inspiration from biblical narratives of creation and the Fall of man (woman). The marble skin of these figures, luminous in dark, uninhabited landscapes conjure images from myths and fairytales that allude to a state of innocence and wonder.

Lilli Waters (born 1983, Armidale, NSW) is a fine arts photographer whose work explores the human condition through dramatic images of the female form in haunting, windswept landscapes.

While the Fall was characterised by torment and shame, the presence of the women in these untamed landscapes has a dream-like ambiguity. Rather than being helpless, or in need of protection, the women offer a more expansive expression of the feminine: beauty combined with strength, nonchalance and indomitability. In the Anthropocene epoch, there is a profound disconnect with nature, yet these images situate humans within nature - cocooned, in sensuous repose and unfurling into a state of awareness with the possibility for communion with nature.

A Lilli Waters image has a painterly quality, evoking the Pre-Raphaelites with macabre, foreboding elements, a jewel-like palette and a sensitive use of light. These images initially appear to represent a romantic idea of beauty and equivalence between the fertility of the female body and the landscape. Yet in the era of ‘Me Too’ and ecological crisis, Waters’ work offers a critical feminine gaze. These are images that convey complex emotions: the interplay of darkness and luminosity, strength and vulnerability, and the possibility for new understandings based on an awareness of our dependence on the earth.

PAINTING 405

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Tamas WELLS Ethan likes blueberries and dinosaurs [detail] 2022 Oil on canvas 50 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

There are around 15,000 Australians living with a genetic condition called Trisomy 21. Ethan is three years old. He likes blueberries, dinosaurs, running on the beach and playing with his older siblings. This painting depicts the life and courage of one young Australian with T21 that I have come to know.

Tamas Wells is a Melbourne based artist. Before beginning painting he released several critically acclaimed albums as a songwriter, toured internationally, and signed a number of international record deals. He also spent seven years living in Myanmar as an aid worker and is currently an academic at the University of Melbourne, where he lectures and writes on Asian politics.

PAINTING 407

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Josephine WESLEY Self Portrait at 45 - Not quite comfortable here [detail] 2021 Oil on panel 91.5 x 61 cm

About the work

About the artist

Self Portrait at 45 - Not quite comfortable here began from the decision to attempt a sight size portrait exclusively from life, revisiting a pose I had done 20 years earlier. As the portrait progressed, the reality of the 20 years that had passed became evident as I struggled to keep the pose physically, analysed my changed features and reflected on the current era we are in with all its challenges. Uncomfortable in the world, in my body and in the pose, brought the painting to a place where I found myself becoming less visible but determined to persevere.

Josephine is an emerging regional artist from WA. She studied at Julian Ashton Art School in the 1990s, however she has only recently begun pursuing art. She has been a finalist in the Percivals Portrait Painting Prize 2020, Southern Buoy Portrait prize and part of several local and online art exhibitions. In 2020, Josephine won the painting prize at her local Plantagenet Art Prize, for a portrait of her grandmother. Josephine has received several commissions, both in Australia and overseas and recently held her first solo exhibition.

PAINTING 409

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sally WEST My Girls [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 100 x 200 cm

About the work

About the artist

I painted my daughters on separate occasions. I have been painting their portraits probably every couple of years since they were born. I wanted to depict the girls, whom I assumed would grow up to be similar, but they couldn’t be more different, both physically and mentally. They are a constant inspiration to me.

Finalist in many exhibitions, including the Blacktown City Art Prize 2021, Blacktown Arts Centre, Blacktown; Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize 2021, Campbelltown Regional Art Gallery, Campbelltown; Georges River Art Prize 2021, Hurstville Museum and Gallery, Hurstville; ANL Maritime Art Awards 2021, The Mission to Seafarers 2021, Docklands, VIC; National Capital Art Prize 2021, Federation Square, Canberra, ACT; Lethbridge Small Scale Art Prize 2021, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane; Wyndham Art Prize 2020, Wyndham, Victoria; Vincent Art Prize 2020, Duck Rabbit Gallery, Redfern; ANL Maritime Art Awards 2020, The Mission to Seafarers, Docklands, VIC; Gosford Art Prize 2020, Gosford Regional Gallery, Gosford, NSW; 2020; Percival Portrait Painting Prize 2020, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville QLD; Gallipoli Art Prize 2020, Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney. Also exhibited in the Salon des Refusés at the Lethbridge Landscape Art Prize 2021, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane.

PAINTING 411

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Bruce WHATLEY Remember When [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 122 x 91 cm

About the work

About the artist

As we get older the escape through nostalgia often becomes front of mind. Memories of what was or what could have been. Of doubts or regrets. Of dreams unfulfilled. Opportunities lost. All the possibilities of ‘what if’ seem to get frustratingly explored. But hopefully we reach the quiet, warm contentment with what was.

I have been an illustrator for over 45 years first in advertising in London and Sydney then in the area of children’s literature in Australia and various international markets. My work has been exhibited at the Bologna Book Fair in Italy and won several prestigious awards including International Book of the Year in China last year 2021. Though during this time I have painted and sculpted it is only more recently that I have given these art practices more time. In 2008 I completed a PhD Left Hand Right Hand: implications of ambidextrous image making which included a 30,000 word dissertation and a body of work for a major exhibition at Monash University. The work included drawings, oil paintings and sculptures in resin and lead. I continue to search for ways to improve both my painting and my illustrating.

PAINTING 413

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Anita WILKIE A Well Earned Break [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 90 x 60 cm

About the work

About the artist

In the media circus of reality TV, “Chefs” are portrayed as this glamorous figure who’s passionate about their craft. The last part of that sentence is true, however the ‘reality’ for most chefs (television celebrities excluded) is a life of long, hard, hot and often times thankless work. Working 12-16 and even 19 hour shifts where the only chance to rest is to take up smoking! However the new age of technologies where the chef has a computer at their fingertips- is that even on that break they must be connected- food orders, supplier discussions, staffing dilemmas, function planning. The break has become a time to work too!

Anita Wilkie lives in Townsville. Her career as a chef has given her an ability to create eye appealing texture and colour. She paints with palette knife, oils and acrylics in an impasto style, she also uses brushes to paint portraits creating realistic skin tones. Anita participates in classes at The Drill Hall Studio since 2019. Recently she joined the Townsville Art Society (TAS) and Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts to increase her audience. During 2021, she received a Highly Commended at the Hinchinbrook Awards for her piece Burning Man and just missed out on a Highly Commended in the TAS awards. Her entry for the Members’ Exhibition at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts was used to promote that event. Anita often uses photographs to inform her work, however she also paints from life and imagination. Currently Anita is working towards an exhibition of portraits with a theme of strong Australian women.

PHOTOGRAPHIC 415

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Katherine WILLIAMS Stupid Piece of Shit - Self-Portrait [detail] 2021 Digital photographic print 95 x 40 cm

About the work

About the artist

Stupid Piece of Shit. One of the many names men who supposedly loved me have called me. Names that became my identity. Names that made me believe the stories they told me about myself.

Katherine is a Newcastle based photographer whose work has been widely published and shown in exhibitions and installations in Newcastle and Sydney. A recent keynote was a large-scale digital installation at Vivid Sydney 2017 in collaboration with Coca Cola at the Kings Cross Precinct where her portraits of 80 famous (and infamous) Kings Cross characters were the centrepiece in a takeover of the iconic Coke billboards.

Now, as I turn 40, I am finding these names harder and harder to believe and I feel the need to shed them and reevaluate the memories. I am not stupid. It was not my fault. My self-portraiture is a practice of self-reflection through which I am able to remove the violence and power that these names have held for decades. Standing in front of the camera, all alone, shouting the words at it: “STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!” I set the words free, I hear how wrong they are. They are not mine to carry anymore.

She has been a finalist in a number of photography and art awards, most notably in 2015 as a highly commended finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize with a piece from a long-term series focussing on intergenerational youth pregnancy. More recently, work from her Vermilion Blues series was featured in the Lake Art Prize 2020 at the MAC Museum of Art and Culture.

PAINTING 417

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Christine WREST-SMITH Body of Water-Portrait of Valerie Taylor AM [detail] 2022 Oil on linen 71.5 x 81.5 cm

About the work

About the artist

This is a portrait of Valerie Taylor AM, filmmaker, conservationist and Shark Expert.

Christine Wrest-Smith works as a full time artist working predominately in painting and drawing media as well as ceramics and printmaking.

Regarding scuba-diving, underwater photography and anything to do with Sharks Valerie and her late husband Ron, were innovative and pioneering Australian Icons from the ‘60s onwards. I lived in Townsville in the ‘80s and worked for Mike Ball Dive Expeditions as Dive Staff on his live aboard boats. Photos and articles featuring Valerie diving the Reef, were often in the diving magazines. I admired her enormously. I was thrilled when Valerie agreed to sit for this portrait and having read her recent biography, I looked forward to this experience with anticipation of wonderful stories and conversation. I was indeed, richly rewarded. Now 86, Valerie Taylor is as beautiful and vital as ever, continuing her amazing life and legacy, as she continues to advocate for the ocean environment in all its lifeforms including and especially, her beloved sharks.

Christine’s work is informed by the environment and the natural world as well as the human condition. She has studied in Italy and Spain as well as study tours of London and Berlin. She holds an Honours degree with Monash University. Having held 20 solo exhibitions, Christine has also been a selected finalist in many of Australia’s top portrait shows. Her work including many commissions, is held in collections nationally and internationally as part of private, corporate and Regional gallery collections. Christine is represented by Australian Galleries Melbourne and Sydney.

PAINTING 419

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Sarah YEE World Maker [detail] 2022 Acrylic on canvas 35 x 35 cm

About the work

About the artist

We look at the children and see potential; they look at the world and see everything. They are unlimited opportunities and endless outcomes. They are brimming with ideas and creativity and hope. I live for seeing my children learn and discover the world around them. They are my world and I want them to have the world.

Since graduating with an Advanced Diploma in Fine Art in 2013, I have been steadily working with multiple mediums and I prefer to do socially-conscious statement work. My occupational history as a Registered Nurse has given me an interest in the human form. I currently reside on the fire-ravaged South Eastern Coast of NSW, Australia which has given me a stronger focus on environmental issues and the effects of climate change. I had to take a few years off from creating due to having children but I am now working in my studio regularly with a renewed passion to create awareness about the decline of our environment.

PAINTING 421

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Michelle ZUCCOLO Clive Murray – White with Michelle Caithness, Dunmoochen studio [detail] 2021 Oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm

About the work

About the artist

I was able to visit two artists - Clive Murray-White and Michelle Caithness - in the historic Cottles Bridge Dunmoochin Artists Co-operative, situated 50km northeast of Melbourne. Established by the late Clifton Pugh (1924-199), this cluster of cottages and studios has an evocative, creative presence. In my painting I designed a composition that reflected the strength, connectivity and intimacy existing between the couple living and working together in this isolated location. Depicting their large shared studio space, Clive and Michelle are surrounded by a selection of his sculptures interpreting his muse. My intention is to reflect the ongoing process of making and reinventing, responding to physical materials, as well as to new aspects and relationships experienced through one’s lifetime.

Undertaking a Degree in Drawing at tertiary level, Michelle Zuccolo has maintained a passion for visual art for over thirty years. Recent winner of the prestigious Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize, Zuccolo has been a semi-finalist in the British Portrait Award, London (2019) and multiple times in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Sydney, Portia Geach Memorial Award, S. H. Erwin Gallery, Sydney, included in the 7th Drawing Biennale, Drill Hall, ANU, Canberra, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney, and the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize, Brighton. In 2013, she became the recipient the Italian Services Institute International Fellowship, conducting research in Europe, and studied at an Art Academy in Florence. She is inspired by Holbein, Durer, Rembrandt and Freud in particular, informed by their strong connection to portraiture. Michelle has taught Visual Art for over twenty five years at various levels including primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

422

PERCIVALS PROGRAMS

THE PERCIVALS 2022

Townsville City Council Galleries are proud to offer multiple ways for the public to get involved in The Percivals. From talks and tours to workshops and interactive elements, plenty is happening during the exhibitions! Free Activity Books and Interactive Guides have been designed in response to the exhibitions and are targeted at various members of the public. The fun-filled Activity Book guides children through engaging activities. The Interactive Guide is designed for students and adults to be immersed in portraiture with further information and interactive elements.

THE PERCIVALS 2022 R C IV THE PE

22 ALS 20

A C T IV IT Y

BOOK

23 APRIL– 3 JULY INTERACTIVE GUIDE

ngs to:

ity book belo

This activ

THE PERCIVALS 2022 23 APRIL– 3 JULY PUBLIC PROGRAMS GUIDE

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Cnr Denham and Flinders Street, Townsville QLD 4810 (07) 4727 9011 galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au

Make sure to sign up to our Galleries E-newsletter to keep up to date on exhibitions, programs, awards, opportunities and expressions of interest. Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Cnr Denham Street and Flinders Street, Townsville QLD 4810 (07) 4727 9011 galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au Pinnacles Gallery Riverway Arts Centre 20 Village Boulevard, Thuringowa Central QLD 4817 (07) 4773 8871 galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au Stay connected Townsville City Galleries TownsvilleCityGalleries