Archibald Prize-winning artist creates mural at RMOA

Published on 12 July 2024

Rockhampton Museum of Art (RMOA) has a new artwork on its walls by one of Australia’s most significant and awarded artists.

Archibald Prize winner Wendy Sharpe has created a 5m x 6m mural, in the museum’s atrium, titled I Am All Those Who Are No More. The work takes its title from a line in the Argentine-Swiss writer Jorge Luis Borges’ poem, All Our Yesterdays (1973-74), and looks at the concept of identity across generations.

After months of preparation, Sharpe created the artwork on site at RMOA over a period of five days this week, painting directly onto the wall. Museum-goers have been able to observe the artist at work during that period.

One of Australia’s most awarded artists, Sharpe paints in genres that include portraiture, parody and allegory. As a muralist, she has completed several largescale installations across Sydney including The Women’s Empowerment Mural in Newtown, the Annette Kellerman Murals in Woolloomooloo, and Vu iz dos Gesele (Where is the Little Street)? at the Jewish Museum.

As well as winning the Archibald Prize in 1996, Sharpe has also won the Portia Geach Memorial Prize (twice) and the Sulman Prize.

Locally, she won The Gold Award in 2022 for her work Self Portrait as Circus Banner in Purple Skirt 2021. She is a veteran of 72 solo exhibitions in a career spanning 40 years with many major commissions including being Australian Official Artist to East Timor, the first woman to do so since World War II.

Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said: “We are very privileged to have an artist of the calibre of Wendy Sharpe create this artwork on the RMOA atrium wall.”

“The creation of this mural has been a great opportunity for the public to see an artist at work, creating a very prominent piece,” he said.

Wendy Sharpe’s I Am All Those Who Are No More will be on display to the public until February 2025. Entry is free.

At the end of the exhibition period, the wall will be returned to its usual state, to be available for future works.

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