WATERLOO: On September 14, entrants in the annual Blak & Blu art award gathered at the Orchard Gallery to celebrate creativity through an unconventional medium: the humble biro.
Exploring the theme “Deep within”, artists were required to submit pieces made with blue and/or black biros on A4 paper.
The works of all 31 finalists were displayed at the Orchard Gallery (South Sydney Uniting Church), with seven winners selected by this year’s guest judge Susan O’Doherty.
Teresa Trujilio, the overall winner, was awarded a $1,000 prize for her piece, “Deep within the recesses of our mind”. The striking composition comprises fine cross-hatching and detail. It is a subtle work that repays close attention.
Youth prizes, sponsored by Art On King in Newtown, were awarded to Zac and Jayden (for exciting untitled works), and to Miller Lloyd Lewis, 10, for his piece, “What we don’t see”, which explored the “wackiness” of the things he loves.
Other highly commended works included Rebecca Reddin’s “Running for the money”, Anne Camac’s “Carolyn and Anne” and Eylie Jones’s “Where you lose and find yourself”.
O’Doherty, a Sydney-based painter and mixed-media artist, described the work of all artists as “honest and direct”, saying she was moved by the profound stories they told through such a simple medium.
Heather Priest is the winner of this year’s people’s choice award for her self-portrait, a complex and emotional depiction of the artist.
Now in its fourth year, Blak & Blu was co-created by Dhungatti artist and 2022 Archibald Prize winner Blak Douglas, along with the Rev. Andrew Collis of South Sydney Uniting Church.
Sponsored by Douglas, the art prize is inspired by the distinctive style of 19th-century Kwat Kwat artist Tommy McRae, who made black and blue ink drawings to celebrate Aboriginal culture of the south-east of Australia, often satirising colonial culture and highlighting social injustices.
For appointments to view the exhibition at the Orchard Gallery, 56a Raglan Street, please text Andrew on 0447 007 096.
