Henbury School’s Sophie Laughton named Minister’s Choice winner at Exit Art 2024

One student’s pair of dragons will fly through the halls of parliament after their artist received a top accolade at the Exit Art Awards. FULL LIST OF WINNERS.

Sierra Haigh

2 min read

February 16, 2024 - 9:25PM

Sophie Laughton's Crown and Orange submission for Exit Art 2024.

Education

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A pair of dragons will grace Parliament House for a year after a lifelong fascination with the mythical beasts led to one student’s award-wining art piece.

Henbury School student Sophie Laughton’s piece – titled Crown and Orange – features incredibly detailed blue and orange dragons made of polymer clay, wire, and foil.

Sophie Laughton's Crown and Orange submission for Exit Art 2024

Ms Laughton’s bright duo was selected for the Minister’s Choice Award at the 2024 Exit Art Awards, which were held at MAGNT on Friday evening.

“Using clay, I brought my ideas to life in 3D. The medium is flexible and allows for tiny details and texture to be added to bring fantasy into the real world,” she said.

“My hope is that Crown and Orange will inspire others to explore their artistic side, so they can bring their own fantasy creations to life.”

Exit Art showcases contemporary art and design from Northern Territory 2023 Year 12 students and is presented by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in partnership with the Department of Education.

Sophie Laughton's Crown and Orange submission for Exit Art 2024

Education Minister Mark Monaghan said the submissions to this year’s exhibition were complex works across a range of mediums, including painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography and a range of sculptural media, including for the first-time synthetic fingernails and radiographic film.

The 41 finalists were selected from 12 schools from across the NT – including Darwin and Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs.

“The exceptional quality of this year’s Exit Art Exhibition is a testament to the hard work of these students and the invaluable contributions of their teachers, their families and our wider community in nurturing their artistic talents and creative thinking,” Mr Monaghan said.

“I commend the remarkable achievements of the talented students who were recognised for their work in the 2024 Exit Art Awards.

“Their innovative works showcase the boundless creativity that flourishes in our schools and communities.”

MAGNT director Adam Worrall said the achievements of this year’s award recipients demonstrated the creative depth of the next generation of artists in the NT.

“I wish to congratulate all the category winners and the finalists for contributing to Exit Art,” he said.

“I’m also pleased to announce that this year we are celebrating a milestone 20 years since MAGNT and the Northern Territory Government’s Department of Education forged our partnership to present Exit Art at MAGNT.”

The exhibition can be viewed at the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT until June 9.