Tony Costa’s portrait of fellow artist Lindy Lee has won the 2019 Archibald Prize. His subject, Lindy Lee is both one of Australia’s most distinguished artists and a former trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Costa has painted her wearing a traditional robe, in meditation, a reminder of both her Chinese heritage and her Zen Buddhist faith. The annual announcement of the Archibald Prize is one of Sydney’s great spectacles. There is the crowd of journalists, photographers, television crew, some of the artists, their dealers, friends and many of the subjects. Those of us who have been here before try to read the runes in the positioning of the podium from where the announcement is made. This year it is directly in front of David Griggs’ large portrait of Alexie Glass-Kantor. That means this was not in the final group of works to be considered, as cameras require an uncluttered view of the winner the instant it is announced. No furniture can get in the way. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling The Chairman of Trustees, David Gonski, is one of the most experienced of showmen, and knows how to string out an announcement. He starts with the lesser prizes. First, the Sulman, judged this year by Fiona Lowry, awarded to McLean Edwards for The first girl that knocked on his door, an almost plaintive expression of emotional vulnerability. Then he slowly moves onto the Wynne, teasing the waiting journalists with the two lesser prizes – the Trustees’ Watercolour Prize goes to Robyn Sweaney for her country cottage, Perfect Uncertainty. This is followed by the awarding of the Roberts Family Prize to Noŋgirrŋa Marawili for Pink Lightning, a luminous account of the lightning snake that spits fire into the sky in her Baraltja country. The Wynne Prize goes to Sylvia Ken who, with her sisters, was awarded the same prize in 2016. Her subject, Seven Sisters, is one of the great songlines of Aboriginal Australia. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter And now, for the big one, the room goes silent. Gonski thanks all 919 people who entered the prize. It’s a reminder of the achievement of the 51 who have been selected to hang. He points out how arduous the process of judging has been and highly commends Jude Rae’s portrait of Sarah Peirse as Miss Docker in Patrick White’s A cheery soul. Rae’s portrait captures the actor in character, isolated on the stage. Not getting the prize, but being signalled out for praise, is a good omen for future years. Read more: Puckish charm and no politicians: the 2019 Archibald Prize Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins But as Gonski says, there is only one winner. This is the fourth time Costa has been an Archibald finalist, so he fits the criteria of recent winners. There is a tranquility to this painting, echoing the meditative quality of Lee’s own work. Costa has painted a portrait that is both a reflection of his subject’s culture, faith, and approach to making art. The strong lines that define the shapes within the painting almost appear to quote archaic prints. It’s a similar approach to that taken by Costa in previous portraits, notably last year’s portrait of Claudia Chan Shaw and Simon Chan in 2017. As Archibald Winner, Tony Costa is in for a dizzying time of feasting and fun, but that will fade with the next news cycle. The real impact of the prize will last a lifetime. The 1985 winner, Guy Warren, was able to buy a studio in Leichhardt with his winnings. Sadly, even with the decline of Sydney real estate, the prize money (now $100,000) won’t go so far these days. But there will most likely be future portrait commissions, successful exhibitions, and a slightly less precarious life for the artist.<doc-sep>Sydney-based artist Tony Costa has won this year’s Archibald Prize for his portrait of fellow Australian artist Lindy Lee. Costa was announced the winner of the $100,000 prize for portraiture, now in its 98th year, at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney on Friday. It’s the first ever Archibald-winning portrait to feature an Asian Australian subject. “I’m absolutely overwhelmed, honoured and thrilled,” Costa said in a statement. “I am very aware of all those who have come before me as Archibald Prize winners and I am humbled, to say the least.” He has made the final cut three times previously - in 2015, 2017 and 2018 - but it’s the first time he has won the prestigious prize. Lee is a contemporary Australian artist herself and a Zen Buddhist. President of the Art Gallery of NSW board of trustees, David Gonski, said it wasn’t an easy year to pick a winner. “There was a lively and thoughtful debate, but in the end the judges were unanimous in their choices,” he said. Among the other 50 finalists were Tessa MacKay’s Packing Room prize-winning portrait of actor David Wenham, and portraits of high-profile Australians including artist Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward, musician Megan Washington, journalist Annabel Crabb and rugby league star Greg Inglis.<doc-sep>Sydney artist Tony Costa has won the 2019 Archibald Prize for his portrait of artist Lindy Lee. Key points: Tony Costa said his mother's advice to follow his heart "was the best advice [he] ever got" Tony Costa said his mother's advice to follow his heart "was the best advice [he] ever got" The 2019 awards are considered to be diverse compared to previous years The 2019 awards are considered to be diverse compared to previous years The Art Gallery of NSW reported a record number of entries in this year's prize The winner of Australia's oldest and best-known prize for portraiture was announced at the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) this afternoon. Costa was a finalist in 2015, 2017 and 2018, but this year he collected the $100,000. Speaking at the gallery as he accepted the prize, Costa made a list of the people he wanted to thank. He finished with his mother. Archibald Prize 2019 winner is Tony Costa's painting of artist Lindy Lee. ( Supplied: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins "And finally, my mother, who said 'follow your heart', which was the best advice I ever got," he said. In an earlier interview, Costa spoke of his subject, Lindy Lee, who is a leading contemporary artist and practicing Buddhist. "I listened to an interview Lindy gave at the AGNSW and found myself agreeing with many of her ideas. I was attracted to her wisdom, humility, courage, humour and, above all, her deep focus regarding her art practice," Costa said. "I approach each painting with an empty head, beginning every portrait with charcoal drawings as I collect sensations and information. "The challenge for me is to trap the energy of my sitter — the emotional feeling over and above the physical reality. "In my portrait of Lindy, I have kept the colour minimal to avoid any visual noise. Ultimately the invention and the unity of the work is what matters most." Only two men in ties This year's Archibald Prize exhibition is distinctive in its diversity. Figures of authority have been almost wholly overlooked, images of women outnumber men, there are no politicians or wealthy philanthropists on display and two artists chose to portray themselves in the last blush of pregnancy, with naked, bulging bellies. Vincent Namatjira's portrait of sitter Tony Albert who is also an artist. ( Supplied: AGNSW/Felicity Jenkins The exhibition includes just two men in ties, artist Samuel Condon's modest self-portrait and Yundimurra professor Michael McDaniel, whose blue suit is draped in animal skins. McDaniel is one of eight Indigenous Australians, his image hangs alongside those of playwright Nakkiah Lui and recently retired Rabbitohs player Greg Inglis. Among the 51 finalists there are nine pictures of Australians of Asian descent. Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott is powerfully portrayed in his wheelchair by the artist Kirpy. ABC personalities are also well represented this year: besides Lui (ABC's Black Comedy and Kiki and Kitty), TV hosts and journalists (and best friends) Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales have portraits in this year's exhibition, as well as Benjamin Law and Alcott. Politicians, suits and "old men in armchairs" are, on the other hand, notably absent this year. Male artists still outnumber women but the gap is closing. There are 23 female finalists to 28 males, whereas just a decade ago men outnumbered women three to one. Last year, the selfie ruled. There was a record 20 self-portraits and 14 painters chose to depict another artist, but this year the trend has been reversed with portraits of 17 artists hanging in the final exhibition and 11 self-portraits. Record number of entries in 2019 The Archibald Prize is now in its 98th year, having been held annually since 1921. Artist John Beard painted a portrait of Edmund Capon, the late director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. ( Supplied: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins There were 919 entries this year, culled into the final exhibition by the Art Gallery of NSW Board of Trustees, led by chairman and banker, David Gonski, deputy Gretel Packer and including artists Ben Quilty and Khadim Ali. The winning artist receives $100,000, from a total pool of $200,000 shared with the winners of the consecutively held Wynne sculpture and landscape prize, and the curated Sulman art prize. There is nothing like the sum of these prizes anywhere else in Australia. From an open call-out, AGNSW staff sort more than 2,000 entries into a cogent exhibition of just more than 100 works. Over time the prizes provide a snapshot of Australian art and, in the case of the Archibald, a snapshot of Australian life, thanks to the rule that requires the sitters be notable in a field such as sport, the arts, media or politics. This combination of portraiture and fame ensures the Archibald Prize is consistently the AGNSW's most popular annual exhibition. Last year's show attracted more than 130,000 visitors who paid up to $20 for entry. This financial windfall of approximately $2 million, in addition to the $50 entry fee paid by artists, ensures the exhibition is also profitable, despite the significant task of sorting through so many entries. Finalists are exhibited at the AGNSW before embarking on a year-long regional tour.<doc-sep>
Artist Tony Costa has taken out the coveted Archibald Prize for his portrait of contemporary Buddhist artist Lindy Lee. The 64-year-old painted an oil on canvas depiction of Ms Lee in tribute to her own artistic flair and exploration of her Chinese ancestry. “I’m absolutely overwhelmed, honoured and thrilled," Mr Costa said when he found out he had won the top prize. Tony Costa, the winner of the 2019 Archibald Prize, is seen with his painting of fellow Australian artist Lindy Lee. (AAP) “I am very aware of all those who have come before me as Archibald Prize winners and I am humbled, to say the least." Overall, there was a record 919 entries this year and judges had to select from 51 finalists. This is the fourth year one of Mr Costa’s creations has been a contender for the $100,000 prize. Tony Costa takes home the $100,000 prize. (Tony Costa) “I listened to an interview Lindy gave at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and found myself agreeing with many of her ideas. I was attracted to her wisdom, humility, courage, humour and, above all, her deep focus regarding her art practice,’ Mr Costa said of his piece. The Sydney artist’s creations have been represented in a number of Archibald sub-prizes including the Wynn Prize, Sulman Prize as well as the Dobell Prize for drawing. In 2014 he won the Paddington Art Prize for a landscape painting. Sylvia Ken won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for her piece "Seven Sisters." (Sylvia Ken) “The work is clearly the product of close and sympathetic observation by Tony," Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand said of Mr Costa's winning portrait. "Its strong, expressive painterliness and minimal palette project a sense of calm and repose, reflective of Lindy Lee’s Zen Buddhist practice.” McLean Edwards was awarded the $40,000 Sulman Prize for "The first girl that knocked on his door." (McLean Edwards) The subject of this year's Archibald Prize, Ms Lee was also an Archibald finalist in 2002. she has appeared as a subject in other artist's entries in 2006 and 2012. The $50,000 Wynne Prize was won by Sylvia Ken for her entry “Seven Sisters”. Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand announces the 2019 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. (AAP)