A father, a grandpa, and a 93-year-old great-grandmother: Family portraits shine at Young Archies

With an artist father, it was inevitable that Isobel Bazar would create art at a young age, although she didn’t always appreciate her father’s help.

“He tried to teach me how to do realism better, we practised drawing spoons. I didn’t want to do it, so I just didn’t,” the 11-year-old from Teven, near Ballina in northern NSW, recalls.

Isobel Bazar, aged 11, with her portrait of her Oma.Credit: Oscar Colman

Isobel is one of four winners of the 2025 Young Archie competition, the junior instalment of the prestigious Archibald Prize.

Generational experiences was a theme among the winning works, which included a vibrant depiction of a loving father, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to a resourceful grandfather, and a detailed teenage self-portrait.

Isobel’s portrait, My Hero, is of her 93-year-old great-grandmother, originally from Lithuania. The artwork was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“She was sitting at the table, and we were just like, ‘Oh can we take a photo of you to paint in the Young Archies?’” Isobel recalled.

Tasha Rogoff, with her winning portrait, “What Are You Doing With That Box?”Credit: Oscar Colman

Tasha Rogoff, from Dover Heights, painted her grandfather, who lives in South Africa, with “his three necessities”: Nutrigrain, trail mix, and laxative Osmolax.

“Nutrigrain because it’s his favourite cereal, and you can only get it in Australia. And he always comes to Australia and eats our trail mix, and then we have none left in the house. And, he just really needs his Osmolax,” the 15-year-old explained.

Six-year-old Logan Zhang, from Carlingford, won the five to eight category for his colourful portrait of his father, who was pleasantly surprised at being chosen as Logan’s subject.

Logan Zhang, 6, with his winning portrait, ‘My Dad’.Credit: Oscar Colman

The artwork took two days, Logan said. But he is often drawing, and his art teacher encouraged him to apply for the award.

Jasmine Rose Lancaster Merton, 16, said winning the Young Archie was the first step in her dream career.

The work was her first-ever oil painting. Jasmine said she decided upon a self-portrait, as “a tribute to myself… to commemorate myself and acknowledge to myself that I am here and strong and good”.

Jasmine Rose Lancaster Merton won the senior category with her self-portrait, ‘My Name Is Jazz’.Credit: Oscar Colman

Jasmine is depicted in her busily decorated room, which she sees as a blank canvas for her to adorn as she wishes.

“I have this mantra that your room is a reflection of your mind, and I put pictures of everybody that I know and all of my art and just things that I love,” she said.

Young Archie judge and family programs manager at the Art Gallery of NSW Victoria Collings said the competition was fierce.

“Their technical abilities and skills are wonderful, but it is the originality, the ideas and the many ways that they express themselves through their art that makes them so special, arresting and eye-catching,” she said.

The finalists’ work will be displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW until August 17.

After being turned off by the spoons, 11-year-old Isobel now appreciates the delicate intricacy of realism.

“It’s very technical,” she admitted. “You have to have a lot of skill with it … [but] I love getting things picture perfect.”

Tasha Rogoff’s Young Archies winning portrait of her grandfather, left, and Isobel Bazar’s winning portrait of her great-grandmother, right.Credit: Art Gallery of NSW

Logan Zhang’s winning portrait of his father, “My dad”, watercolour, oil pastel and coloured pencil on paper, left, and Jasmine Rose Lancaster Merton’s self portrait, “My name is Jazz”, oil on paper, right. Credit: Art Gallery of NSW

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