The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has announced Sydney artist Tom Polo as the winner of the 2015 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship.
The Scholarship provides a young Australian painter the opportunity to spend a three month residency at one of the AGNSW’s studios at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, and up to a further three months travelling throughout Europe to further their art education. The annual scholarship awards the recipient with a stipend – this year valued at $30 000 – to support living and travel expenses while in Europe.
Open to Australian painters aged between 20 and 30 years, the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship was established by the late Beryl Whiteley in 1999. The Scholarship commemorates the profound effect international travel and study had on her son, Australian artist Brett Whiteley, who won the Italian Government Travelling Art Scholarship at the age of 20.
This year’s judges were Australian artist and 2014 Archibald Prize winner Fiona Lowry and the AGNSW’s head of Australian art Wayne Tunnicliffe. Lowry said she was drawn to the poetical nature of Polo’s paintings and is excited to see how his practice develops after his time in Paris.
“Tom’s work illuminates anxieties and failures in a most beautiful way. His practice is well developed and he has a deep knowledge of what he wants to talk about as an artist. This direction and understanding will only grow further through spending time in the cultural melting pot that is Paris,” Lowry said.
Polo said it is a surprise and great honour to be awarded the 2015 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, after being a finalist in both 2012 and 2013.
“This scholarship will afford me dedicated time and space to focus on my practice and its development, while surrounded by the wealth of culture and influence Paris offers. I look forward to undertaking research at some of France’s most significant collections and galleries and it’s exciting that I’ll have the opportunity to extend this to the rest of Europe after my residency, too,” Polo said.
“I am deeply thankful to the Brett Whiteley Foundation for their generosity and to Wendy Whiteley for her continued support of the scholarship, which, at a time when artists need the most support, is a real privilege,” Polo added.
The painting All she needs from Polo’s winning body of work, alongside works by finalists is currently on display at the Brett Whiteley Studio.
Brett Whiteley Studio
Until 13 September, 2015
Sydney
Tom Polo, All she needs, 2014, acrylic and vinyl acrylic on canvas
Courtesy of Station Gallery, Melbourne. Private Collection, Sydney.
