Art Almanac congratulates the fifty-one finalists selected for the 2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.
Finalists were chosen from 610 entries through a blind selection process by a judging panel composed of Alex Seton, sculptor and 2009 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize winner, Blak Douglas, artist and Archibald Prize winner, and Dr Kate Harrison, chair of the Copyright Agency.
Established in 2001, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is Australia’s pre-eminent award for small sculpture and is the first national acquisitive prize for an original sculpture of up to 80cm in any dimension. The Prize’s four categories include: the Main Acquisitive award of $25,000; a Special Commendation award of $2,000; the Mayor’s Award of $1,000; and the Viewers’ Choice award of $1,000.
Kendal Murray, Waterway, Cut Away (front). Courtesy Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Sydney
The selected works range across a variety of mediums, from soft sculpture, ceramics, weaving and assemblage, to metal work, glass and paper. The sculptures touch on a number of contemporary issues and themes, such as bridging the past to the present and future, our impact within the natural and built world, and uncertainty in the face of climate change. Many finalist works also invite viewers to consider the material qualities of the sculptures themselves.
The finalists represent a mix of emerging and established artists from across Australia as well as international artists from the USA, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Finalists include Anna May Kirk, Francis Carmody, Jamie North, Juz Kitson, Kendal Murray, Kenny Pittock, Kyra Mancktelow, Madisyn Zabel, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Mylyn Nguyen and Orson Heidrich.
The finalists’ works will be presented in an exhibition at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, Sydney, from 27 September, with the winning sculpture announced at the opening.
