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Nothing like a Dame: one of our leading ladies makes an appearance in the Adam Portraiture Award, opening in Wellington 1 March

New Zealand’s much-loved Dame Kate Harcourt is the most recognisable subject in the Adam Portraiture Award finalist list, announced today. Others, with the exception of heavily-tattooed tā moko artist Shane Te Ruki, are not so well-known. Instead, the painted subjects are the kind of ordinary New Zealanders visitors will instantly recognize – neighbours, friends, family, fellow human beings. Piquing the viewer’s interest are background details that include dogs, birds, cellphones – and, inevitably, selfies. Nine are actual self-portraits.

Portraits are very accessible works of art, says New Zealand Portrait Gallery director, Jaenine Parkinson. “Even people who don’t normally go to art galleries enjoy portraits – the personal story is a bridge into the work.” Anyone can apply to enter this anonymously-selected biennial contest, from all over the country. Of this year’s 270+ entries, the 50 finalists include artists from as far afield as Whangarei and Kaiapoi. Fourteen were also finalists last time round, in 2016.

The Adam Portraiture Award is known for launching careers – 2006 winner Freeman White, a Napier artist now painting fulltime, is included in this year’s lineup. 2014 winner Henry Christian-Slane won the 2017 Young Artist Award in London’s prestigious BP Portrait Awards last June.

Judge Angus Trumble, director of Australia’s National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, says the portrait genre is quite obviously thriving in New Zealand today. “I was impressed by the sheer diversity of approaches to portraiture, and the seriousness of purpose among this year’s entries.”

The winner of the Adam Portraiture Award prize of $20,000 will be announced at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in Wellington on the evening of Wednesday, 28 February. There is also a People’s Choice award, to be awarded at the close of the exhibition (Sunday 27 May), worth $2500.

A selection of finalist paintings will tour throughout the country over the next two years, beginning in Auckland in the middle of the year.

The 2018 Adam Portraiture Award finalists are: 

Toni Armstrong, Bridget Baldwin, Regan Balzer, Gareth Barlow, Jordan Barnes, Gavin Chai, Peter Coates, Diane Connal, Imogen Corbett, Martin Corke, Jane Davies, Caroline della Porta, Marcus Ebbett, Evangeline, Diva Ford, Christine Fowler, Charlotte Giblin, John Gillies, Vivian Grapentin, Rebecca Harris, Rebecca Hart, Raewyn Helms-Davis, Colin Hoare, Nancy Honore, Paul Hooker, Arlen James, William Jones, Ted Kindleysides, Heather Lindsay, Duncan Pepe Long, Susan Mabin, Bill MacCormick, Kate MacKenzie, Hugh Major, Jeremy McCormick, Melissa Mcdougall, Jane McIntosh, Martha Mitchell, Logan Moffat, Frances Paul, Felicity Priest, Rik Schinkel, Todd Simpson, Raewyn Smith, Justine Turnbull, James Wakelin, Catherine Ward, Freeman White, Katharine White, SamWilliams.