Ariel Katzir has won the Overall Acquisitive prize at the City of Gosnells Community Art Exhibition and Awards, for a mixed-media painting that shines a light on disability in the arts.
The winning artwork, I do see you, is a portrait of local First Nations artist living with disability Darryl Dempster, who is non-verbal but has found a voice through art.
Katzir won $5,000 for the painting, which will become part of the City’s art collection.
“It’s really cool to paint someone who makes you feel good and inspires you,” she said.
Mayor Terresa Lynes congratulated Ariel Katzir for her work.
“Selecting a single work from close to 200 artworks is no easy task, however, this piece is a very worthy winner of the City of Gosnells Community Art Exhibition and Awards Overall Acquisitive Award,” she said.
“Congratulations to everyone who submitted their work in this year’s competition. This exhibition showcases the depth and breadth of the art community in the City of Gosnells and beyond, and is fascinating to explore.”
Judges praised Katzir’s bold painting for effectively evoking raw emotion and layered meaning.
“The expression of the central figure suggests a compelling interplay of vulnerability, strength and defiance,” Art Advisor Ainslie Gatt said.
“Katzir’s distinctive approach to colour, coupled with expressive figuration and symbolic complexity, truly sets the work apart.”
Category winners each won $500, including:
- Oil – Sarah Grange, Glassy Eyed
- Acrylic – Eva Carot Collins, Idiopath
- Pastel, Pencil, Pen and Watercolour – Eve Wolfe, Daydream
- Photography and Digital Media – Robbie Goodall, Silent Synchrony
- Mixed Media and 3D Sculpture – Abhijit Prasanth, His Final Piece ft. Loyal Doggo
- Youth Award (12 to 17 years) – Brody Nicolai, Mixed Emotions
- The City in Focus Award – Lorraine Lennox, TRIP-tych
- Local Artist – Geoff Reeves, Iron Country
- Aboriginal Artist – Possum Rose, Shadows of the Past
Three artworks were also highly commended by the judges, including Christine King’s Window to Nature: Dragonfly in Leadlight (Photography and Digital Media), Jacquelyne Suherman’s Maiden of Darkness (Watercolour) and Michelle Travaglini’s Affection (Acrylic).
The exhibition is open to the public until Sunday 25 May. Everyone who attends the exhibition can cast their vote in the Maddington Central People’s Choice Award. The most popular artwork will be awarded $500.
The City of Gosnells Community Art Exhibition and Awards is sponsored by Maddington Central.
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