Currently logged in. Logout
Now in its eighth year, the annual John Fries Award is a platform for some of the most engaging and experimental works from the next wave of contemporary artists in the region. On Monday 10 April, Copyright Agency | Viscopy announced this year’s finalists – 12 early career visual artists from Australia and New Zealand.
Tina Havelock Stevens, Thunderhead, 2016
Consuelo Cavaniglia, interdisciplinary artist and 2017-18 guest curator, said: “This year’s finalists are drawn from a broad cross-section of early career artists with diverse and engaging practices; the interdisciplinary nature of these is very exciting. Although there is no single curatorial theme, many of the finalists’ work engages with questions of cultural identity and consideration of landscape. Conversations with artists about new commissions for the award are currently underway, with many artists electing to expand their modes of practice in experimental ways.”
The complete list of finalists include:
Amanda Williams
Sydney, New South Wales
photography and installation
Angela Tiatia
Sydney, New South Wales
multidisciplinary
Anwar Young
Amata, South Australia
sculpture and new media
Barayuwa Mununggurr
Wandawuy, Northern Territory
sculpture and painting
Ben Leslie
Adelaide, South Australia
sculpture
Bridget Reweti
Wellington, New Zealand
video and performance
Claudia Nicholson
Sydney, New South Wales
multidisciplinary
Fayen d’Evie
Muckleford, Victoria
installation, performance, writing and publishing
Ella Sutherland
Christchurch, New Zealand
text based art and graphic design
Kuba Dorabialski
Sydney, New South Wales
video and performance
Tina Havelock Stevens
Sydney, New South Wales
multidisciplinary
Kathy Ramsey
Warmun, Western Australia
painting
Each finalist will present multiple works in the exhibition at UNSW Galleries, Sydney from 11 August to 2 September, 2017. The $10,000 non-acquisitive award winner will be announced at the exhibition opening on Thursday 10 August, 2017.
This year’s guest judges include; Consuelo Cavaniglia, Guest Curator of JFA 2017-2018; Melanie Oliver, Senior Curator and Programs Manager at The Dowse Art Museum, Wellington; Clothilde Bullen, Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art; Fiona Lowry, multi-award winning artist (Archibald Prize, Moran Prize, Fleurieu Landscape Prize); and Kath Fries, artist, Viscopy board member, Chair of the John Fries Award committee and daughter of the late John Fries.
Previous winners include; Eric Demetriou, Ben Ward, Bridie Lunney, Jess Olivieri and Hayley Forward and Jacob Leary, Sanne Mestrom and Hannah Bertram.
