The National Art School (NAS) has announced fifty-six contemporary artists, selected from 965 entries, as finalists of the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize, Australia’s prestigious $30,000 biennial acquisitive prize dedicated to drawing.
The finalists were selected by a judging panel comprising First Nations artist Vernon Ah Kee, Paula Latos-Valier AM, Trustee and Art Director of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, and Dr Yolunda Hickman, Head of Postgraduate Studies, National Art School.
Eamonn Jackson, Aftermath , 2021–23, graphite on paper. © and courtesy the artist
Presented in partnership with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, the Dobell Drawing Prize celebrates the enduring importance of drawing in contemporary art practice, with a focus on technique, innovation and expanded approaches. The Prize attracts entries from across Australia, showcasing the diverse ways in which drawing is explored today and how artists are continuing to push the boundaries of the medium.
Image 1: Yvette Hamilton, Afterglow, 2024, fixed and unfixed photographic paper, LED rope. Image 2: Tracey Clement, Wear and Tear, 2024, nylon tulle, polyester thread, cotton thread, glass. Image 3: Imogen Eve Rowe, Céleste’s Front Yard (red brick and bougainvillea), 2024, watercolour on Yupo. Image 4: Jennifer Mills, Head in hands , 2023, watercolour and pencil on paper. All images courtesy and © of the artist
This year’s list of finalists features a cross-section of established, mid and early-career artists: Badra Aji, Margaret Ambridge, Chesca Athas, Julian Aubrey Smith, Michael Bell, Ellen Bird, Cath Brophy, Osvaldo Budet, Peter Burke, Tom Carment, Amelia Carroll, Genevieve Carroll, Tracey Clement, Hannah Cooper, Sal Cooper, Artemisia Cornett, Maryanne Coutts, Jaq Davies, Jan Davis, Esther Erlich, Imogen Eve Rowe, Philip Faulks, Todd Fuller, Sue Grose-Hodge, Yvette Hamilton, Fe Heffernan, Emryn Ingram-Shute, Eamonn Jackson, Susan Jacobsen, Josephine Josephsen, Martin King, Anke Klevjer, Jane Lander, Rosemary Lee, Brian Martin, Jennifer Mills, Michelle Molinari, Monique Morter, Andrew Nicholls, Nadia Odlum, Toshiko Oiyama, Montgomery Parsons, Jose Patalinghug, Julie Paterson, Nic Plowman, Jaime Prosser, Linda Schneider, Amy Sibenaler, Sally Simpson, J9 Stanton, Floria Tosca, Claire Tozer, Shonah Trescott, Leonardo Uribe, Paul White, and Agus Wijaya.
The selected works span various media – from coloured pencil, charcoal, chalk and watercolour to clay, human hair, aluminium, LED, and video – and consider a range of themes, including domesticity and social dynamics, environmental care, and impacts of climate change and colonisation.
Margaret Ambridge, Cheek by jowl, 2024, charcoal and raindrops on paper. © and courtesy the artist
Simon Cooper, Interim Director and CEO of the National Art School, said: “The National Art School is excited to announce this year’s finalists for the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize. As one of Australia’s most respected platforms for contemporary drawing, it not only rewards excellence in technique but also champions the innovation and diverse practices that continue to shape the role of drawing in art today. The exhibition is part of the NAS Festival of Drawing, a biennial event organised by the school’s National Centre for Drawing, which will also include talks, workshops and a research symposium.”
The 24th Dobell Drawing Prize finalists’ exhibition, curated by Lucy Latella, will be on view at the NAS Gallery, Darlinghurst NSW 2010, from 11 April to 21 June 2025, with the winning work selected by the judging panel and announced at the exhibition opening on 10 April 2025. The winning work enters the National Art School’s significant collection, built over the past 120 years.
