Sixty-four works from more than 575 entries have been selected as finalists of the Brisbane Portrait Prize 2024, a competition which showcases the best in contemporary portraiture.
Now in its sixth year, the finalists will be vying across nine categories for a combined total of $90,000 in prize money, including the highly coveted $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Prize.
“What we see in the entries is a snapshot of contemporary concerns. This year, themes include navigating life as a father or a mother, the fragility of life, the nature of memory, and the impact of screens on young people,” said Brisbane Portrait Prize Chair Anna Reynolds.
“More broadly this year, we see artists look to the past and the future. Some reference the greats of Renaissance art, while others critique how AI impacts the creative realm. Some depict it a threat, and others employ it as a tool which extends the creative conversation.”
L–R: Bronwyn Hill, Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 122 × 91cm (Sitter: Bronwyn Hill); Gerwyn Davies, Cola, photograph, 135 × 105cm (Sitter: Gerwyn Davies); Jack Rodgers, Keith Burt, acrylic on board, 120 × 90cm (Sitter: Keith Burt); Riste Andrievski, Elisabeth Cummings, photograph, 81 × 71cm (Sitter: Elisabeth Cummings); Dane Beesley, Mad Macka, photograph, 100 x 65cm (Sitter: John “Mad Macka” McKeering)
Some well-known sitters include Rugby League Immortal and TV presenter Wally Lewis, musician Mad Macka, media personality Jamie Dunn, ABC’s Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Maloney, Queensland Ballet’s Leanne Benjamin, and artists Elisabeth Cummings and Keith Burt.
The Brisbane Portrait Prize 2024 finalist exhibition will be on display at the slq Gallery, State Library of Queensland, in South Brisbane from 3 August to 10 November, with the winner announced on Friday 2 August.
