Simon Dow, Tarrangower Times

Esteemed artist and Archibald winner in 2018, Yvette Coppersmith, judge of this year’s Maldon Portrait Prize titled I Be Human, addressed the finalists for the prize at the exhibition opening, at EDGE Galleries in Maldon on Saturday 5 February.

Yvette expressed her delight at the quality and diversity of the exhibiting portraits. This made her task of selecting the winner, Gabrielle Martin’s portrait ‘The Ecologist’ all the more challenging.

Gabrielle’s portrait of Doctor Cassia Read, an ecologist living in the Central Goldfields, was deeply inspired by Cassia’s passion for nature and conservation, her work encompassing microscopic observation and her far reaching vision for a better future.

Gabrielle said, “Cassia is a good friend, but I chose to paint her because I was inspired by her work in botany and ecology. Like many people I think about climate change almost constantly and wonder what I can do in the face of such an overwhelming threat.

“As an artist I wanted to paint someone who is dedicated to the task of understanding nature and delicate ecosystems, working on regenerating landscape and, whilst looking at the detailed picture through a microscope, also trying to understand the bigger picture of how to heal our relationship to nature.”

This is the fourth portrait prize that the Maldon Artist Network has organised.  This time, in partnership with EDGE Galleries in Maldon, an expanded prize is available to Victorian and interstate artists and includes two exhibitions. The mediums included are: painting, drawing, mixed media and photography, with a $5,000 main prize. There is also an online exhibition opening on 1 March- to June 2022. The online exhibition offers two people’s choice awards.

IbeHuman and the Hillary Merkus Recordati Foundation are the primary sponsors of this year’s Maldon Portrait Prize. Both organisations based in Italy are internationally focused and were established by Andrea Bianchedi, an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The Foundation honours his late mother, Hillary. Andrea has deep connections to Australia where his maternal grandparents lived and where he still has family connections. In the arts and culture area notable projects include: a major photographic installation on Palazzo Strozzi in Florence by JR a renowned French artist, a youth arts space in Milan, the architecture pavilion at the Venice Biennale and, of course, the Maldon Portrait Prize 2022.

• Painting, Drawing and Mixed media exhibition goes from 6 to 13 February.
• Photographic exhibition is from 20 – 27 February.
• Opening and announcement of the prize winner will be on 19 February.
• Online exhibition: 1 March to 15 June 2022 www.maldonartistnetwork.org.au.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 11 February 2022.