National Portrait Gallery announces 2022 Darling Portrait Prize finalists

National Portrait Gallery director Karen Quinlan said the judges were impressed by the diversity of approaches, subjects and artistic styles presented from the pool of almost 600 entrants.

"We approach the Darling Prize democratically, with the idea that artists of all career stages, working across genres and artistic styles, are invited to present portraits of any and all Australians," she said.

"Sitters and artists are not expected to be well-known - what we are looking for are exceptional artistic depictions of our wide and varied community.

"The inaugural 2020 exhibition offered a broad picture of the faces and characters that make up contemporary Australian life, and we were able to acquire several pieces for the National Portrait Gallery collection, including Anthea de Silva's winning portrait of dance maven Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, and a portrait of writer Tim Winton by Sally Robinson, amongst others.

"I am very excited to again take on the rigorous judging process with my esteemed colleagues Nicholas Cullinan and Clothilde Bullen - and to announce the winner on June 24."

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial event honouring the legacy of L Gordon Darling (1921-2015), who was instrumental in establishing the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

The prize aims to highlight and nurture the art of Australian portrait painting and offers a $75,000 cash prize for the winner, in addition to highly commended and people's choice awards.

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The 2022 Darling Prize judges - Ms Quinlan together with Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, London and Clothilde Bullen, head of Indigenous Programs at the Art Gallery of Western Australia and National Association for the Visual Arts chair - selected the finalists.

This year's finalists are Avraham Vofsi, Betina Fauvel-Ogden, Caroline Zilinsky, Chonggang, Craig Handley, Cynthia Breusch, Daniel Wein, Darren McDonald, Effie Mandalos, Eleni Nakopoulos, Esther Erlich, Evert Ploeg, Filippa Buttitta, Glenn Morgan, Harley Manifold, Hong Fu, Jane Allan, Jaq Grantford, Jenny Rodgerson, Jiawei Shen, Kathie Mason, Maxim Chikanchi, Melissa Clements, Michael Simms, Miriam Fraser, Narelle Zeller, Nicholas Hopwood, Paul Newton, Phil Went, Qiang Zhang, Rachael Robb, Renata Pari-Lewis, Robert Hannaford, Sean Hutton, Tamas Wells, Tom Hermann, Tony Sowersby, Wendy Sharpe and Yvette Coppersmith.

On show at the same time as the Darling Portrait Prize is the popular annual National Photographic Portrait Prize. Established in 2007 to highlight the strength of photographic portraiture in Australia, the much-anticipated annual event offers substantial cash and equipment prizes for professional, amateur and aspiring Australian photographers.

This year, 50 finalists have been selected from a pool of more than 2400 entries. Judges - renowned press photographer Nick Moir together with the National Portrait Gallery's director of collection and exhibitions Sandra Bruce and associate curator Rebecca Ray - noted an extraordinary range of high-calibre submissions.

Ms Bruce said the portrait prize never failed to deliver a range of emotions.

"Australia is a country with myriad faces, and as we continue to live in disruptive times, this year's National Photographic Portrait Prize offers a sweeping view across the nation's experience, one that reminds us that our lives continue on regardless of wider circumstances," she said.

The portrait prize winner will be announced on July 1.

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