The Archibald Prize 2022 on Tour

Overview

Every year for the past 101 years, the Archibald Prize has recognised exceptional works of portraiture by Australian artists. In 2022, from a field of 52 finalists, the coveted award has gone to Moby Dickens by Blak Douglas. The painting depicts Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens, who lives on Bundjalung Country in Lismore, and is designed as a metaphor for northern NSW town's floods earlier in 2022.

Douglas — a Sydney-based artist with Dhungatti heritage, who was born Adam Hill – made history, too, as the first New South Wales First Nations artist to win with a painting of a New South Wales First Nations artist. Other winners include a portrait of the one and only Taika Waititi, Nicholas Harding's painting Eora, and Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro's depiction of a battle between warrior and demon, titled Raiko and Shuten-dōji

A huge 1908 entries were submitted for the the 2022 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, with the three winners unveiled at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in May. And now the finalists are hitting the road for the annual Archibald Prize regional tour.

The first (and only Victorian) stop: Narre Warren's Bunjil Place Gallery, where the 52 finalist works will be on display between Saturday, September 3–Sunday, October 16. There'll also be a program of workshops, tours, after-hours parties, themed high teas and other art events to match.

Winner Wynne Prize 2022, Nicholas Harding. Eora, oil on linen, 196.5 x 374.8 cm © the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling.

For more information on The Archibald Prize 2022 at Bunjil Place Gallery, head to the website. 

Top image: Excerpt of winner Archibald Prize 2022, Blak Douglas. Moby Dickens, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200 cm © the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling. Sitter: Karla Dickens.