The 2013 National Photographic Portrait Prize has been won by Janelle Low, with her portrait Yhonnie and Indiana. She was presented with the $25 000 prize on Friday evening by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, becoming the second female winner in the Prize’s six year history.
The winning portrait was selected from a pool of over 1200 entries this year, whittled down to 53 finalists by the 3 judges: Louise Doyle, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Curator Joanna Gilmour, and judge, artist and writer Martyn Jolly. Describing the finalists, Gilmour says they “…have captured sitters occupying all points of the spectrum: old and young; exuberant and contemplative; beautiful and curious; world famous and completely unknown. Along with different approaches to portraiture, there is great variety of emotion represented in the exhibition”.
Janelle Low is a Melbourne-based artist and lecturer at RMIT’s Photoimaging department. Responding to her success, Low says “This prize is a lifechanging opportunity, and I could not be more grateful to the National Portrait Gallery for awarding it to me. Every bit of it will be channelled back into photography and developing and extending my practice”.
Her portrait, along with 53 others selected as finalists will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery until May 19, before touring nationally, first to the Blue Mountains Regional Gallery, followed by Grafton Regional Gallery, Roma on Bungil and Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, with free entry to all venues.
National Portrait Gallery
Until 19 May, 2013
Image credit: Janelle Low, Yhonnie and Indiana, 2012, digital print
