Past Winners

"Debs with the Yellow Hair," a tactile self-portrait created using paper quilling. The composition features rows of tightly rolled "paper quill soldiers" arranged in structural channels to form a face. The piece uses vibrant yellow for the hair and blue for the eyes, combining memory, touch, and repetitive craft to bridge the gap between visual and tactile art.

Debs with the Yellow Hair

Debra R., Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre

"Temple in the Deep Waters," a textured painting featuring a mystical temple on an island of meditation. The composition uses intricate lines and modelling paste to depict mythical creatures and natural forms, blending architectural detail with a dreamlike, spiritual atmosphere.

Temple in the Deep Waters

Christina Michelle Tancock

"The Great Silence," a minimalist abstract painting featuring a central, contorted figure rendered in pained, resistant lines. The composition uses a striking pink palette to represent human vitality and non-conformity against a stark, stripped-back background.

The Great Silence

"Transcription of Irises by Vincent Van Gogh 1889," a vibrant mixed-media painting. Inspired by Van Gogh’s original work, this interpretation features even brighter, more saturated colors and thick, tactile applications of paint. The composition follows the classic theme of blooming irises but is altered to reflect the artist’s own inner feelings and preference for intense, vivid hues.

Transcription of Irises by Vincent Van Gogh 1889

"The Misunderstood Girl," a portrait of the mythological figure Medusa. The artwork shifts the narrative from "villain" to "victim," emphasizing her humanity and strength. It depicts her transformed state with snakes for hair and a "gaze of destruction," but with a focus on reclaiming her soul, innocence, and resilience.

The Misunderstood Girl

Tzipporah Johnston

Matalonga Jorge

15 Days of Clay

Masking: Conflict