Winners of Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes Announced For 2015

On July 17, artist Nigel Milsom was announced as the winner of the prestigious Archibald Prize 2015 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW). Milsom’s AUD 100,000 prize-winner, entitled Judo house pt 6 (the white bird), pays tribute to Sydney barrister Charles Waterstreet, a long-time friend who had once aided the artist in reducing his six-year sentence for robbing a convenience store in Sydney. Despite past discretions, Milsom’s run-in with the law did not stop him from also winning the 2012 Sulman Prize and the 2013 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.

Reflecting on his ongoing 40-year bond with Waterstreet, Milsom says in a statement provided by AGNSW that his monochromatic artwork was “an attempt to depict [Waterstreet] as a giant: part-man, part-mythical creature with hands that appear otherworldly, as though the anatomy of his hands has been designed to grasp unnatural disasters, naturally.”

This year, the 11 trustees of the Archibald’s judging panel included president Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, also the managing director of Transfield Holdings, as well as artist Ben Quilty and philanthropist Gretel Packer. Belgiorno-Nettis shared his excitement over Milsom’s win, stating that his work is “a magnificent painting. It’s powerful; it’s commanding and we’re proud to have it in this year’s exhibition.”

Winners of the two other major art prizes organized by AGNSW were also announced. The 2015 Sulman Prize was awarded to Chinese-Australian artist Jason Phu for his humorous ink on paper work, I was at yum cha when in rolled the three severed heads of Buddha: Fear, Malice and Death (2015). Meanwhile, Melbourne-based artist Natasha Bieniek’s Biophilia took home home the AUD 50,000 Wynne Prize, for the best painting to depict nature in the inner-city landscape of Australia.

The Archibald Prize received 832 entries this year, while the Sulman Prize had 518 and Wynne Prize saw 653 applications.

Nearly half of the 47 Archibald finalists were first-time entrants, with 17 of these portraits featuring fellow artists as subjects. Other subjects included writers, politicians, museum and gallery directors, fashion designers and soldiers.