Strong calibre of talent for local indigenous art awards

'She's so finely captured the emu feathers, the subtlety of the white ochre on her face, and that you get lost in those powerful young eyes.'

EXQUISITELY EXECUTED: Exhibition judge Bianca Beetson and art prize winner Stacie Fraser with her work Daughter of a Warrior in the background. Picture: Tim Jarrett

WHEN it came time to choose a winner for the Clarence Valley Indigenous Art Award for 2019, judge Bianca Beetson said it proved a more difficult task than usual.

"I've judged competitions before and usually the moment you walk into the gallery you often know which one will win. But this time, it was tricky because of the high calibre of work,” she said.

But there was one work that stood out to win the Open Acquisitive Prize.

Stacie Fraser's Daughter of a Warrior, an intimate work of graphite on paper capturing the relationship between mother and daughter.

"It was just exquisitely executed,” Dr Beetson said.

"I was looking at the way she's so finely captured the emu feathers, the subtlety of the white ochre on her face, and that you get lost in those powerful young eyes.

"I just kept coming back to it.”

In second place, earning the Emerging Artist Award was Jennifer Rowe's Story Poles.

"What stood out for me with that, it balanced beautifully as an installation. When you look at them, it's almost as if they're floating,” Dr Beetson said.

"It was something really quite unique.”

Janaia Cutmore took home the Youth Prize with her acrylic painting Gibbum Spirit Jalum.

"It's a great work for a young artist,” Dr Beetson said.

The Clarence Valley Indigenous Art Award works are on display at Grafton Regional Gallery.

Originally published as Strong calibre of talent for local indigenous art awards