Year 9 Santa Maria student, Alice Handcock, has been announced as a finalist in The Lester Prize Youth Award.  Previously named, The Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, The Lester Prize is one of the country’s richest prizes for portraiture.

The Lester Prize Youth Award encourages the creative talents of young and aspiring artists. It is open to all high school students across Australia. The prize allows entrants to showcase their works and present their unique artistic perspectives; it helps build their confidence to further their art practice; and allows them to share their stories with the wider community.Below, Alice tells us about her inspiration and her art.

What is the inspiration behind your painting?
On Art Day, the theme was ‘The Face of Art’ and I intended to participate in the portraiture competition run by the Art Department. My painting, ‘An Artist Gaze’, was made to fit this theme. As a child I am growing and experiencing different ways to look at the world. Therefore, as an artist I am growing to look at the world through an artistic view, so I interpret and understand things based on this.

How long did it take you to complete it?
Before I handed it into school, I spent about three days on it. When I was asked to submit it to the competition, I took it home and worked on it for about another four hours.

Who is your favourite artist?
I don’t have a favourite artist, but I do like contemporary art that has a meaning behind it. Something that you can look at and understand the story behind it or have an emotional connection to.

How does creating art make you feel?
Creating art is my way of being relaxed and free. I am open to make what I’m working on personal or impersonal, realistic or abstract, intense or soft. No one else’s art is going to be exactly like yours, I really like that because it makes your art work unique in its own way. I also like how it makes others respond, because they can each interpret my work in their own way.

The Lester Prize for Portraiture Youth Award will be held at Brookfield Place’s Tower 2 and is open to the public from Monday 28 October – Friday 29 November 2019. The finalists’ artworks will also be exhibited digitally as part of our Outdoor Exhibition Boxes and On The Big Screen at Perth Cultural Centre, Yagan Square Digital Tower and the City of Perth Library screen from Saturday 9 November – Monday 9 December 2019.