2018 SHNPA Winner & Finalists

27 October   to   8 December 2018

Marcus Callum wins the Shirley Hannan

Marcus Callum was chosen from an outstanding collection of finalists to win the 2018 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award.

Callum, who trained in Sydney and New York, is a three-time Archibald Prize finalist and won the Black Swan Portrait Prize in 2015.

His oil on linen creation entitled ‘Meg’ attracted the acclaim of Guardian Australia art critic and guest judge, Dr Andrew Frost, who made the announcement at tonight’s opening of the exhibition at the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre.

Dr Frost was impressed with the quality of all the finalists, but reserved glowing praise for the winner.

“Marcus Callum’s painting has an arresting luminosity that matches the sensitivity of the treatment of his subject. It’s also a virtuosic demonstration of contemporary realist portrait painting,” Dr Frost said.

Callum, who picked up $50,000 (Australia’s richest prize for realistic portraiture) for his work said the portrait is about growing up in a complicated, confusing and often extremely frightening world.

“The transition to adulthood can simultaneously be full of joy and fraught with danger. My subject, Meg, stares at the viewer with an uneasy confidence. Despite an uncertain future, she emerges from the darkness as an all-knowing and omnipotent being,” Mr Callum said.

One of Australia's most loved and richest portrait awards, the biennial Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award celebrates realistic portraiture in memory of the Bega Valley Regional Gallery’s eponymous patron. 

Hannan, a gifted portraitist, and well known in the Bega Valley as a staunch supporter and generous patron of the arts, funded the John Balmain National Award for Portraits and Figure Drawing from 1993 until she re-established it in her own name in 2002 with a substantially increased first prize of $15,000.

A prerequisite for the award was made that those works selected to hang depict their subjects accurately 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.

Before her death in 2005, Hannan doubled the prize purse to $30,000 and it was decided to discard the figure drawing component of the prize, concentrating on portraiture alone.

Hannan's husband, Brian Settle, established the Shirley Hannan Trust to perpetuate the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award as a biennial, national portrait prize with a focus on accurate depiction.

In 2012, Hannan's son Peter, himself a talented photographer, paid further tribute to his mother's memory with a generous personal donation of an additional $20,000 bringing the prize purse for subsequent awards to $50,000.

Bega Valley Council Mayor, Cr Kristy McBain, paid tribute to the “continued and generous” support of Hannan’s son Peter when officially opening the Award exhibition in conjunction with Hinterland (an exhibition of 21 local artists).

“The great esteem this award is held in is clear, with the largest number of entries ever being received and all Australian states and territories represented,” Cr McBain said.

Cr McBain also thanked all the artists and families who had travelled for the opening.

“A huge Bega Valley welcome to all the artists and families who have travelled to be here tonight and thank you for the significant contribution your attendance has on our economy.

“I encourage you to take time to, not only enjoy the exhibitions, but to have a look around our beautiful Shire,” Cr McBain said.

2018 finalists:

The Prizes

• The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award $50,000

The SHNPA will be awarded to the "Best portrait painting in any 2D medium (but excluding photography, digital media or bas relief) being a realistic depiction of a particular living person".

• People's Choice $3,000

Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite portrait over the duration of the Award's exhibition at Bega Valley Regional Gallery. The winner of the People's Choice Award will be announced at the conclusion of the exhibition.

• Mailroom Prize $500

The Mailroom prize will be selected by the Records staff of the Bega Valley Shire Council.