Melbourne’s Liss Fenwick awarded the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize

Melbourne-based visual artist Liss Fenwick has been awarded the 2018 Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize for her work Girraween, Northern Territory. The prize was announced last night in Sydney.

Now in its seventh year, the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize supports and recognises a new generation of Australian visual artists. Artists in the early stage of their careers were invited to enter an original work – or works – that reflect the theme The Land and its Psyche.

Liss will receive $15,000 and her work will be acquired by the Macquarie Group Collection. The Macquarie Group Collection has been supporting emerging Australian artists for more than thirty years.

Also announced last night was the recipient of the Nick Waterlow OAM Highly Commended Award. The award by the art committee of the Macquarie Group Collection was given to Eunjoo Jang for her work Finding myself in the beyond. Grace Kemarre Robinya was awarded the Highly Commended Award by guest judge Euan Macleod for her work Lost Cattle at Coniston.

Euan Macleod said: “The exceptional quality of the finalists’ works reflects the significant depth of talent to be found among Australia’s next generation of promising visual artists.

From an outstanding field of nominees, Liss’s work was selected as the recipient of the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize as it skilfully encapsulated the theme of the Macquarie Group Collection, The Land and its Psyche.”

Director of the Macquarie Group Collection, Helen Burton, said: “Congratulations to Liss, Eunjoo and Grace, and to all the finalists for creating such unique and inspiring pieces. Our final prize to award is The People’s Choice Award. We welcome all visitors to the exhibition to vote for their favourite work, to be announced on 13 September.”

Members of the public are invited to see Girraween, Northern Territory, along with other works by the finalists for this year’s prize, at space at 1 Shelley Street, Sydney. The exhibition is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 3 pm until 13 September.

All entries, other than the winning art work and those purchased at the event in Sydney, are available for sale.

Space

Macquarie’s new gallery in Sydney, Space, is open to the public at 1 Shelley Street (enter via Erskine St) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 3pm.