Tasmanian artist Zoe Grey wins prestigious Hadley’s Packing Room Art Prize for “heartfelt” piece

A Tasmanian artist has received the prestigious Packing Room Prize in the year’s Hadley’s Art Prize. What inspired the winning painting.

Hadley's Art Prize Packing Room Winner Zoe Grey with her work titled The Shape of Rock with unpacking team member Julie Payne. Picture: Chris Kidd

A young Tasmanian artist has taken out the prestigious Packing Room Prize in this year’s Hadley’s Art Prize.

Marrawah born artist Zoe Grey said a lot of her work is influenced by her connection to her home on the far North West.

The 28-year-old is now based in Hobart at Good Grief Studios but said she returns to Marrawah often to reconnect to the “raw and rugged” coast.

“The coastal area of Marrawah is important and I’ve always been drawn to rocks, painting them and making work about that area between the land and the sea line,” she said.

Her piece, The Shape of Rock, was selected from more than 600 submissions and 36 finalists.

The painting depicts the coastal landscape near Preminghana in an abstract and colourful style.

Hadley's Art Prize Packing Room Winner Zoe Grey’s her work The Shape of Rock. Picture: Chris Kidd

Packer Julie Payne said the piece was chosen by consensus for the confidence it showed in painting and how closely it represented Grey’s intention in her artist statement.

“With consensus it was Zoe’s work and deservedly so,” Ms Payne said.

“Her spontaneity and the confidence that she has in painting, her obviously heartfelt landscape of where she comes from or where she grew up was so fetching and we were really taken by it.”

Ms Payne said the diversity of technique and materials used in the 36 finalist artworks made it difficult to choose a winner.

“The diversity is extraordinary and to read each of the artist’s statements about them and about the intention for each of these pieces – it’s just so finely tuned and they’re all such professional artists.”

Hadley’s Art Prize curator Amy Jackett said there was an increased number of Tasmanian finalists in this years’ Packing Room Prize.

Grey is a full-time professional artist and said she developed her passion at Hellyer College with the support of the art teachers before going on to obtain first class honours in Fine Arts at UTAS.

The Packing Room Prize includes a $1000 framing voucher. The winner of the $100,000 Hadley’s Art Prize will be announced on Friday, August 2.