Young talents from Tasmania featured in National art competition

A self-confessed ‘eye doodler’ from Tasmania has beaten 3200 artists to hang her work in Australia’s most prestigious youth portrait exhibition — one of two young Tasmanians honoured.

Young Archies Tasmanian entrant Saskia Orr, 15, at Hobart High School. Picture: Linda Higginson

Saskia Orr had never created realism in her art practice, except for a couple of hand studies at school.

Now she has a self-portrait hanging in Sydney’s Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Saskia’s A4 graphite self-portrait with fine texture details and contrasting shadow and light has earned her a spot on the wall as part of the coveted Young Archie portrait prize.

The 14-year-old has “always been a little bit artsy” but hadn’t taken art at school since grade seven and her self-portrait was just the second portrait she had attempted to draw.

Saskia said eyes were her “go to scribble” and when she is bored, she will draw an eye.

“I draw eyes a lot because I just find the motion satisfying, with the swoop, the eye and the eye lashes.”

Young Archie 2025 finalist, 1315 years, Saskia Orr, age 14, Moonah, TAS, Self-reflection, graphite on paper. Image: Art Gallery of NSW

She said she was “shocked” with how well her portrait turned out, and was particularly proud of recreating the texture of her fluffy jumper and that of her hair.

“I think it was about using the photo and trusting what I see,” she said.

“I might think something looks odd as I’m drawing it, but then I know it’ll come together in the end piece.”

Saskia was one of just two Tasmanians selected to be a finalist in the Young Archies along with Launceston resident Cacia Charles.

Cacia visited her portrait at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the family celebration put on by the gallery, promoting Tasmania while wearing a dress by local Launceston designer, Seagrass Designs.

She said it was “amazing” to see not just her own picture up on the wall but all the finalists.

13-year-old Cacia Charles one of two Tasmanians finalist in the Young Archies portrait prize. Picture: Supplied

Cacia had her first art lesson when she was five-years-old, she said she loves to learn a broad range of artistic skills and hopes to one day be an adult finalist in the Archibald Portrait Prize.

“With art you can do whatever you want, and there are so many mediums and so many different things you can do,” she said.

“If I saw a landscape I wanted to paint, I could paint the landscape.

“If I found someone’s face interesting I could paint their face.

“You can just represent so much through art.

“It’s not like a language where some people can’t understand it — art is universal.

“Everyone can understand art, everyone can look at art and share art,” she said.

2025 was Cacia’s second time becoming a finalist in the Young Archies, and her entrant was an acrylic paint self-portrait which showed her family’s connection to sport.

Finalists and winners were selected from more than 3200 entries received from across Australia by artist and guest judge Jumaadi, alongside the Art Gallery of New South Wales family programs manager Victoria Collings. They selected 70 finalists for display at the Art Gallery across four age categories.