Gold Award 2022 Winner Announced

Published on 01 March 2022

Acclaimed Sydney based artist Wendy Sharpe has taken out the prestigious Gold Award 2022 at a special function at Rockhampton Museum of Art on the weekend.

Chris Saines CNZM, Director, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art judged the entries for this year’s award which featured Sharpe and seven other of Australia’s most notable artists.

Communities and Heritage Councillor Drew Wickerson said “I would like to acknowledge all the artists who participated in this year’s Gold Award as the standard of creativity and technical skills demonstrated in the works in this exhibition are remarkable.”

“I congratulate Wendy for winning this year’s Gold Award.  Her thought-provoking and reflective work will be a wonderful addition to our nationally significant collection,

“I would like to pay tribute to the vision and legacy of Moya Gold whose substantial bequest has allowed our gallery to undertake this leading Australian art prize and continue to enhance Rockhampton Museum of Art’s collection.

“I encourage everyone to come and visit the newly opened Rockhampton Museum of Art to see for themselves the calibre of the works entered," he said.

In announcing Sharpe’s self-portrait as this year’s Gold Award winning entry, Judge Chris Saines said “‘Self portrait as a circus banner in purple skirt’ represents Sharpe at her mischievous and brilliant best. She is, first and foremost, an extraordinarily accomplished painter who makes it all look so easy, when it never is.

“This is such a disarming and honest painting.  So self-deprecating, but so self-aware in every way,” 

"It’s a tremendously deserving winner of the 2022 Gold Award," he said.

Ms Sharpe said on winning the Award “I’m so excited to be part of this exhibition.  Thank you to then generosity of the Gold Family and Rockhampton Museum of Art and congratulations to all the other artists.”

The Gold Award is a joint initiative of the Rockhampton Museum of Art Philanthropy Board, Rockhampton Museum of Art and Rockhampton Regional Council.  Designed as an invitational award to acquire contemporary Australian painting, the most outstanding work or works by an artist are awarded a cash prize of $50,000 and acquired to Rockhampton Museum of Art collection.

The Gold Award 2022 exhibition will be on display at Rockhampton Museum of Art until 15 May 2022. Entry is free. For more details visit www.rmoa.com.au

Rockhampton Museum of Art is owned and operated by Rockhampton Regional Council

Artists who have entered work in The Gold Award 2022 are:

•                     Robert Andrew

•                     Gordon Hookey

•                     Euan Macleod

•                     Noŋgirrŋa Marawili

•                     Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran

•                     Wendy Sharpe

•                     Ian Smith

•                     Guan Wei

Background on the artist:

Wendy SHARPE

Wendy Sharpe is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and awarded artists, who lives and works in Sydney and Paris.

She has won a long list of prizes, awards, scholarships and honours, these include winning The Archibald, The Sulman Prize, The Portia Geach Memorial Award (twice), The Adelaide Perry drawing Prize, The Calleen Art Prize and many others.

Sharpe has held over 60 solo exhibitions around Australia and internationally and is represented in Phillip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.