Christine Wrest-Smith Finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize

In Artist May 8, 2020

Image: Christine Wrest-Smith, Portrait of Salvatore Zofrea.

Congratulations to Christine Wrest-Smith who has been announced a Finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize with her sensitive and poignant painting of prominent Australian artist Salvatore Zofrea.

The biennial Percival Portrait Painting Prize is North Queensland’s own portrait competition. Having begun in 2007, The Percivals is an open competition for artists. While showcasing the outstanding and innovative work currently being produced by Australian artists, the competition has also given many emerging artists an opportunity to engage with portraiture and share their expressions of themselves and those close to them.

Award categories:

Percival Portrait Painting Prize: $40,000 (acquisitive)

People’s Choice Award: $1,500

This year’s award will be judged by Julie Fragar, Artist & Head of Painting, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. The exhibition will be held at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, and will run from Friday 22 May – Sunday 19 July 2020. For more information please visit the website.

About the artist

Painter and draughtsman Christine Wrest-Smith studied at Monash University, with a semester at the Prato, Italy. Over the past several years, Wrest-Smith has been creating large scale portraits of Australian artists. 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 stockroom to view available works by Christine Wrest-Smith.