National Capital Art Prize winners for 2022 revealed

The winners were announced on Wednesday night at the Fitters' Workshop in Kingston, where all 127 finalist artworks are now on display until October 12.

John Rowe from Bulli in NSW won the Open Prize for his artwork Dockland showing a bustling port, cranes loading and unloading ships with the "smell of diesel" in the air.

Rowe said he was surprised to win.

"I tend to paint with just how I'm feeling," he said.

"I'm generally a nervous, anxious person, so my images are not always what people would like to hang on their walls. When I saw the other finalists, I thought, 'Wow'. Some of them are just so beautiful."

Dianne Tchumut from Darwin won the First Nations Prize for her artwork Basket Making. Her detailed work was quickly purchased on the night.

"I feel so proud of myself," she said.

"It's my dream come true. I feel like all the work I did paid off."

The single mother said painting had been something she had pursued in later life.

In 2005 while working at Merrepen Arts in the Daly River Community, Tchumut was honoured to have one of her works chosen to appear on the GBP1.12 postal stamp.

"I always felt in my heart that I wanted to do painting and chase my dream and achieve my goal, which I've done today," Tchumut said.

Dawn Duncan-Smith from Victoria won the new Sustainability Prize for her artwork Knit One Tree, Purl One Tree.

The textile piece was a combination of hand and machine stitch and showed Mother Nature creating new life, knitting birds and trees and flowers into being.

Duncan-Smith, from Gippsland Lakes, said the work was inspired by the aftermath of bushfires and completed during COVID lockdowns.

"Like many artists, we had nothing to do, there were no competitions, no exhibitions," she said.

The 2022 People's Choice Award, chosen by the public through online voting, was awarded to Canberra-born and bred artist Daniel Leone for his sculpture, Ode to Casuarina.

In last year's prize, 25,000 votes were cast by the public. This year, more than 60,000 votes were lodged online.

Leone, 28, of Mawson was elated to win the People's Choice Award, for his sculpture of twisted casuarina roots.

"It's incredible," he said of striking a chord with the public. "It truly is a feeling deep down inside."

The three winners were selected by Arts Law of Australia president Justice John Sacker, emeritus professor Sasha Grishin, the National Gallery's curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art Tina Baum, and Deborah Clark, art historian and curatorial adviser to the National Arboretum Canberra Forest Sculpture Gallery.

Professor Grishin said, "While it is customary to say judging was tight, the calibre of the work was outstanding and there was vigorous debate - and all of this was to some extent true - there was unanimity in deciding the winning entries in all three categories."

Canberra art gallery owner Robert Stephens founded the National Capital Art Prize last year, wanting to make the city the art capital, as well as the political capital.

The winning pieces were selected from 127 shortlisted works received from around Australia, a welcome focus after more than two years of COVID disruption to the arts.

The competition aimed to "ignite the passion and courage of artists across the country, many of whom lost the opportunity to display and sell their work during 2020-2021 with its devastating impact on the arts sector".

Mr Stephens said, looking at the crowded Fitters Workshop, that it was wonderful to see people out enjoying themselves again, and enjoying art.

"Which is what life is all about. Or at least part of what life is all about," he said.

There are no restrictions on the subject matter. The open and First Nations categories were restricted to paintings; the sustainability entries could be of any medium.

"The process of creating art is deeply personal and provides an opportunity for true self-expression," Mr Stephens said.

"We all view the world through a different lens, and it takes bravery to share our views and beliefs, especially where it can be judged by others."

The winners of the three major prizes - open, First Nations and sustainability - each received $15,000. The winner of the People's Choice Award received $2500.

Mr Stephens said some of the works would also be exhibited at Floriade, further promoting the prize.

"I would particularly like to thank our platinum partner Mineral Councils of Australia, our gold partner Canberra Airport Group, communications partner OPF Consulting and our beverage partner, Underground Spirits, whose support enabled this competition," Mr Stephens said.