Congratulations Christine Wrest-Smith, who has been selected as a Finalist in the 2020 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award with her incredible oil painting ‘Bruce Pascoe Tending the Yams’.
The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award is one of Australia’s most loved and richest prize for realistic portraiture. The biennial award is non-acquisitive and attracts over 400 entries from many of Australia’s most respected artists.
A prerequisite for the award was made that those works selected to hang depict their subjects accurately without abstraction and demonstrate a sound skill and knowledge of drawing and painting technique. The award was established with a specific and unremitting realist bent, which continues to this day.
The official opening and announcement of the winner will take place from 6pm on Friday 24 July 2020 at Bega Valley Regional Gallery, Zingel Place, Bega NSW.
Phone (02) 6499 2222 for further details.
The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award Exhibition closes on Saturday 12 September.
About the artist
Painter and draughtsman Christine Wrest-Smith studied at Monash University, with a semester at the Prato, Italy. Over many years, Wrest-Smith has been creating large scale portraits of various people, including artists and writers. Wrest-Smith paints her sitters predominantly from life, capturing much about the artist’s inner world by incorporating elements of her subjects’ own artistic style and inspiration into her work. The unique characteristics of each sitter are masterfully rendered in oil paint; the sensitive portrayal of individuality, strength and fragility are testament to the artist’s close and perceptive observation.
Wrest-Smith’s works have been exhibited in Melbourne and Italy. She was awarded the Savage Club Prize in 2010 and the Masterworks Contemporary Art Prize in 2011. She has completed several portrait commissions and her work is held in public and private collections.
Visit the Australian Galleries online store to view available works by Christine Wrest-Smith.