Artist Craig Handley dresses for success as he wins the 2015 Kogarah Art Prize with his work, Kilted.
Kogarah City Council announced the winners of the 2015 Kogarah Art Prize on Friday 19 June, 2015. The prizes were presented by Kogarah Mayor, Councillor Michael Platt at the opening night of the Finalists’ Exhibition at the Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre.
The City of Kogarah Art Prize is a national, acquisitive prize for painting in any medium with $12,000 in prizes and an open theme. Now in its forth year, it has become one of the key annual cultural events in the city of Kogarah. Established in 2012, the Kogarah Art Prize has become a highlight on Kogarah’s calendar of cultural events. The Kogarah Art Prize Finalists’ Exhibition provides the opportunity for our community to view the paintings local artists and artists around Australia have produced in the previous year. The Prize is an opportunity to experience new perspectives on current art practice. It generates discussion and ideas, and brings people together.
The 2015 Art Prize was judged by John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald art critic and writer, lecturer and curator. From 207 entries from right across the country, McDonald selected 41 works to be part of the Finalists’ Exhibition.
McDonald was pleased with the strength of the Finalists’ Exhibition, saying, “It is a very strong show, you should be very happy with the quality. It was very hard to trim down to this selection of 41. It is one of the better regional prizes I’ve seen for a while.”
The winners of the 2015 Kogarah Art Prize are:
Kogarah Art Prize ($8000) – Craig Handley, Kilted
Place of Reeds Prize ($3000) – Tetsuya Mori, Pink Dress Girl with her Cat
Commended Prize ($1000) – Robert Malherbe, Nude with Green Cushion
Packing Room Prize – Amber Carbury, Autumn
McDonald described the winning artwork, Kilted by Craig Handley as “A painting about a childhood suburban memory. Everything has all disappeared and he is looking back at the memory, all is left is a picture of him in a kilt. This painting kept growing on me. It is simply like a memory of a suburban childhood.”
Craig Handley says of the work, “The little picture on the wall in this painting is of my father and I. He was chuffed that day. Don’t remember if I was. I was in the St. Patricks High School Brass Band, Sutherland. I think it had the dubious honour of being the only kilted brass band in the world. Wearing a kilt when you are thirteen, a nervous ninny and not musically inclined certainly did lead to some terrifying, funny, and memorable moments…”
Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre
Until 13 July, 2015
Sydney
2015 Kogarah Art Prize winner: Craig Handley, Kilted, oil on canvas. 56 x 46cm
Photo: Emilie Alford
