Camden artist Mitch Cairns wins Archibald Prize for striking portrait of partner Agatha Gothe-Snape

Camden-born artist Mitch Cairns has today won the prestigious Archibald Prize for his portrait of his partner and fellow artist Agatha Gothe-Snape.

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CAMDEN-born artist Mitch Cairns has today won the prestigious Archibald Prize for his portrait of his partner and fellow artist Agatha Gothe-Snape.

The figurative painter and cartoonist, 33, who is based in Sydney, will receive $100,000 after winning the accolade, which is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW.

Mitch Cairns and his partner Agatha Gothe-Snape, pictured together at the Art Gallery of NSW. Picture: Toby Zerna

Cairns was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize four times and finished runner-up twice.

In the oil on linen portrait, Ms Gothe-Snape is sitting on a mat and depicted embracing and resisting any idea of what it is to be fixed.

“I composed this portrait with love. Agatha and I share everything in our lives; our two-year-old son; our work as artists and our day-to-day lives,” Cairns said.

“Initially I made loose drawings of Agatha, just in the flow.

“It’s a domestic scene. When you have a young child there’s a lot of creative play happening on the floor.

“In this portrait Agatha’s in an ‘uncomfortably comfortable’ pose; legs crossed, head turned, on our rumpled rug.’’

Artist Mitch Cairns and his partner Agatha Gothe-Snape.

Campbelltown Arts Centre director Michael Dagostino said it was fantastic that a local and young artist was able to achieve such a prestigious accolade.

“It’s quite an achievement,’’ he said.

Mr Dagostino said he hoped the Archibald Prize win would inspire other young artists from the Macarthur region.

He said Cairns and Gothe-Snape has also displayed their works at Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2009 for the What I Think About When I Think About Dancing exhibition.

Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand said he phoned Cairns this morning with the news he had won the 2017 Archibald Prize.

“I was thrilled for Mitch,’’ he said.

“In 2014 and 2015 his Archibald portraits of Reg Richardson and Peter Powditch respectively were judged highly commended.

“Mitch has also been a recipient of the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, in 2012.’’

Cairns was one of 43 finalists for this year’s Archibald Prize, which had attracted 822 entries.