2023 Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO JANE SEYCHELL, THE 2023 PEOPLE’S CHOICE PRIZE WINNER.

Janes’s winning work, Bees – The Soul of Our Existence.

As an artist, Jane’s work serves as a mirror to her deep fascination with the world around us. Through the medium of coloured pencils and a commitment to realism, Jane embarks on a journey to examine the intricacies of nature, with a particular focus on the invaluable role of bees in our very existence.

Jane believes it is essential for the health of our environment and food supply that bees need to be protected. Unfortunately bees face various threats, including habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change and disease.

Jane seeks to convey a powerful message—a call to recognize the significance of these tiny yet vital creatures. She aims to provoke contemplation and invite viewers to question: Are we, in our relentless pace of progress, inadvertently accelerating the destruction of vital environments that sustain not only bees but also our own survival? – Jane Seychell

CONGRATULATIONS TO ROSIE HASTIE, WINNER OF THE 2022 HENRY JONES ART PRIZE.

Rosie is pictured with her winning work, Once, 1.

“A Hobart-based photographer and artist, Ms Hastie’s fine art inkjet print titled Once, 1, which was informed by Peter Dombrovskis’ iconic Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River beat a strong field of 124 entries, with 62 artists selected as finalists.

In her entry statement, Ms Hastie said Once asked the viewer to consider the fragility of iconic Tasmanian locations.

“Once, a synthetic photo of a photo, is a satirical comment on tourism – a final confirmation that everything is now marketable – even our most wild of places. At the rate humans are consuming place as a product, this site will imminently be uninhabitable by all life, asking the questions of who will be around to see it? We need reminding that protection is needed more than visitation,”

2022 HENRY JONES ART PRIZE WINNERS

2022 Henry Jones Art Prize winner, Rosie Hastie with Once, 1.

2022 People’s Choice Prize winner, Daniela Gjocaj with Radiant Energy.

2022 Packing Room Prize winner, Tilley Wood with Winter Rituals.

Register for the 2023 Henry Jones Art Prize now before entries close.

CONGRATULATIONS TO TILLEY WOOD, THE 2022 PACKING ROOM PRIZE WINNER.

Tilley is pictured with her winning work, Winter Rituals.

“Every year, my dad burns off on our block of land on Yuin Country where I grew up. The forest surrounding our home is dry sclerophyll – a mixture of spotted gums, sally wattles, blueberry ash and burrawangs. Throughout the summer, the land accumulates a bedding of dry leaves, bark and twigs. Come winter, dad walks the ridgeline, gently gathering debris for small piles which he lights in the late afternoon. As the last light from the sky turns pink and grey, the golden warmth from his fires light up the forest.

There are many strategies amongst landholders for mitigating fire, the threat each summer is keenly felt since the devastating fires of 2019. Some choose to clear the land with tractors, others employ the local fire brigade for controlled burning. I’ve watched dad from afar each year tend to his piles. A single man moving steadily through the forest with rake in hand. His process could be seen as inefficient by comparison, yet this winter I found an appreciation for his meditative rituals. His slow pace aligns itself with the bush, so that carefully the forest is allowed to flourish as it knows best.” – Tilley Wood

2021 Henry Jones Art Prize Winners

Right: 2021 Henry Jones Art Prize winner, Isabelle Chouinard with her winning entry, By the river.

Centre: 2021 People’s Choice Prize winner, Nicholas Hopwood with Josephine Cutting Clouds.

Left: 2021 Packing Room Prize winner, Liam Ross Baker with Late for Dinner.

“The judges were highly impressed with the number and variety of entries in this year’s Henry Jones Emerging Art Prize. With close to 300 art works, it was a difficult to arrive at a shortlist, and even more difficult to make a final decision. There are many highly distinctive works in the exhibition, distinctive because of their technical proficiency and their conceptual richness but also because the artists have imbued them with an elusive, ineffable quality that compels you to keep returning to the image. For this reason, we have selected 4 highly commended works this year as well as the winner.”

Congratulations to Jo Chew, Georgia Morgan, Corinna Howell, and Harrison Bowe, whose works were all highly commended by the judging panel.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE 2019

The votes have been counted and this year’s winner of the People’s Choice Award from the recent Henry Jones Art Prize is Tasmanian artist, Maggie Jeffries (pictured above) for her painting Beneath Our Feet, 2019. Maggie has received a $1,000 framing voucher courtesy of Wagner Framemakers. Thank you to all who stopped by the exhibition to view, vote or purchase impressive works by Tasmania’s finest emerging artists. Your support of Tasmania’s art community is greatly appreciated.

‘Beneath Our Feet’ was created as a homage to kunanyi / Mount Wellington, as a reminder of the importance of connection to land and significance of place. The piece was inspired by a passage from Greg Lehman’s Welcome to Country, which features the phrase ‘we walk where they walked’ (Greg Lehman, 2006). Created to pay respect to the original owners of this particular Tasmanian site, the painting also presents an enduring appreciation for this island’s unique landscape. The composition consists of several photographs taken up on the mountain, highlighting a selection of native plants and a combination of different sites, collaged together to form a pattern as unique as the subject itself. ‘Beneath Our Feet’ considers the notions of preservation and admiration of sacred sites, while also reflecting my personal connection to the mountain and the concept of place.

As promised one lucky voter was drawn at random to win a night at The Henry Jones Art Hotel. That lucky person is Annette O’Hern from Geilston Bay, Tasmania!  Congratulations!

WINNER 2018

Hobart-based emerging visual artist Laura E Kennedy was awarded the inaugural Henry Jones Art Prize at a VIP function last year, launching the exhibition of finalists at the IXL Packing Room. 137 contemporary Tasmanian artworks were submitted for the prize, which included embroidery, watercolour, sculpture, oils, origami and fine printmaking. 54 finalists were chosen exhibit for the prize.

The winning artwork by Laura E Kennedy is titled “Albert hoped that by puffing up the extremities of his girth he would sufficiently intimidate the obnoxious invaders”. It features an owl, made with mixed media on panel within a 3D-printed ornamental frame, which aims to manipulate the standard boundary between artwork and surrounding picture frame.

The panel of judges consisting of Lindsay Broughton, Dr Jane Quon and David Keeling reported: “The winning work is sophisticated, fully realised with a deep felt love of nature. Using diverse media and techniques steeped in tradition, Laura has created an artwork that brings these techniques into the contemporary realm.”

Words from Laura:

“Winning the Inaugural Henry Jones Art Prize last year has had an amazing impact on my arts practice. The validation of my work that it provided gave my artistic confidence a rather healthy boost. Also, shortly after I was awarded an incredible commercial gallery in New York contacted me and I am currently working towards participating in their summer group exhibition in July 2019. 

Winning the vast prize money while heavily pregnant has also meant that I can take a longer period of maternity leave. I am currently deeply enjoying the balancing act of getting busy in the studio in between the nap times of my delightful baby girl.”