The winner of the 2018 Sulman Prize is Kaylene Whiskey, an Indigenous artist working with the Iwantja Arts centre in the Indulkana community of Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, in remote north-western South Australia.
On Friday, Kaylene has been awarded the $40,000 prize, presented by Art Gallery of NSW, and this year adjudicated by guest judge contemporary artist Angela Tiatia.
‘I like to listen to rock music and Tina Turner, and I paint with really strong colours, I put in lots of the special details, and everyone likes it,’ reads Kaylene’s artist statement on the Iwantja Arts website. ‘I paint strong stories too, paintings about heaven and Jesus, and sometimes Mintabie (local mining town,) and paintings about my country Indulkana. Sometimes my paintings tell hard stories, but my paintings are always colourful and painting them makes me happy.’
Established by the bequest of architect Sir John Sulman, this prize was first awarded in 1936. In 2018, 17 finalists were selected from 525 entries, with 59% of finalists taking part for the first time.
The Sulman Prize spans ‘genre paintings’ (a composition representing some aspect or aspects of everyday life, and may feature figurative, still-life, interior or figure-in-landscape themes), or ‘subject paintings’ (more idealised or dramatized and typically, taking its theme from history, poetry, mythology or religion), with both cases encompassing figurative, representative, abstract or semi-abstract styles. In addition, ‘a mural’ (fixed directly to a wall or ceiling as part of an architectural and/or decorative scheme) can be entered too.
Huge congratulations to Kaylene Whiskey, Iwantja Arts, and all the other incredible artists participating this year!
View the winners of The Archibald and The Wynne in our latest News Stories. You can also view all finalists for the 2018 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at Artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/archibald-wynne-sulman-prizes-2018/
‘Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2018’
May 12th to September 19th
Major Exhibition Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery Road, Domain, New South Wales.
