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Congratulations to Andrea Huelin, winner of the Packing Room Prize 2023, with her portrait of New Zealand-born comedian Cal Wilson titled Crown Jewels.
The Packing Room Prize is a $3,000 cash prize awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery of New South Wales staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries. This year the “Packing Room pickers” Timothy Dale, Monica Rudhar and Alexis Wildman said:
“Andrea’s work jumped out at us as soon as it arrived. The bright colours really popped, and we immediately recognised Cal as a familiar face. Cal’s been such a mainstay on Australian television for two decades. We love the interesting pose and unique headwear and, in the tradition of the Packing Room Prize, Andrea’s painting looks like Cal! This is a great, joyful portrait of someone who has brought so much laughter to Australia.”
Packing Room Prize 2023 winner Andrea Huelin and sitter Cal Wilson with the winning work, Clown jewels. Photograph: © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mim Stirling
This was the first year that Perth-born artist Huelin has submitted work to the Archibald Prize.
“Being a finalist is everything I could have hoped for. Winning the Packing Room Prize is simply gobsmacking. I was inspired to paint Cal because her Instagram posts modelling her brilliant homemade headpieces on her makeshift stage made me laugh out loud. Her poses reminded me of my sister and me making ourselves laugh by pulling funny faces in the mirror as kids and I could tell we share a similar sense of humour. I posted a congratulatory comment and Cal wrote back and admired my paintings, so I asked if she’d sit for a portrait.
Cal brought her creativity and imagination to the sitting, as well as a suitcase full of headpieces and outfits. Because I’m a still life painter, I thought the headpieces were a great way for me to incorporate a still life element into the portrait. The formal portrait mocks the 19th-century style in which women were once painted, while capturing her cheeky expression and sparkly headpiece, which is actually just arts and crafts,” said Huelin.
