The Lester Prize 2022
Sophia Alone Respect Grandfather Kutri Makanykarra 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 44.5 x 44.5 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Winner of The Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture 2022
Congratulations to Sophia Alone who has won this year’s The Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture (selected by a panel of judges). Sophia has be awarded $50,000 cash for her work titled Respect Grandfather Kutri Makanykarra. Sophia was also the recipient of the $10,000 Minderoo Foundation Spirit Prize.
Judges’ comments:
“All of us were immediately drawn to the intimacy of this work. The work draws you in close but opens out into a wider world and context of family and Country. The way the details of the face were sensitively captured give a sense of her grandfather’s character, personality, and close relationship with the artist. The vibrant contrasting colours and brushwork create a unique energy that brings the portrait to life.“
About The Lester Prize
The Lester Prize is managed by The Lester Inc, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2007 to provide an avenue for artists to exhibit works of portraiture within Western Australia. With an annual prize pool worth over $105,000, it is now one of the nation’s most recognised and prestigious art prizes.
Working with government, peak arts bodies and community groups, it plays a critical role in helping to diversify WA’s local economy, grow cultural tourism, and activate spaces through creative placemaking. The Lester Prize is proud to provide locals and visitors with the opportunity to engage with the best of the artform each year in a format that puts the artists and community front-and-centre. The Lester Prize’s exhibitions and public events program is targeted at diverse groups in the community and includes artist floor talks, workshops, live art demonstrations and pop-up community activations across the city.
