ARTIST Thomas Delohery is off to a flying start for 2025 after being accepted into two major art prizes for the first time.<\/p>\n
Irish-born Delohery graduated in Fine Arts at Ulster University Belfast in 1997.<\/p>\n
He moved to Australia in 2010 on a Distinguished Talent Visa and has taught visual arts at several schools in Victoria.<\/p>\n
“The first prize I was accepted into this year was the Collie Art Prize in Western Australia,” he said. “It is one of Australia’s richest art prizes.<\/p>\n
“This year the theme was identity and I was selected with my painting of Australian performance artist Stelarc.<\/p>\n
“Stelarc is known for getting an ear implanted into one of his arms as part of his art practice.<\/p>\n
“The second prize I was accepted into is The Maldon Art Prize in Victoria. I painted actor Anthony La Paglia.<\/p>\n
“He was delighted when he heard my painting was accepted. After he sat for me, I offered him one of the early sketches I had done of him.<\/p>\n
“At first, he said he didn’t accept gifts but when he saw it, he said, ‘I want that’ and posted it on his Instagram page. It was a great compliment.<\/p>\n
“Working with him was an absolute hoot; he has a real boyish charm.”<\/p>\n
Delohery said just to be accepted for consideration in the awards was a huge honour.<\/p>\n
“I feel very fortunate. I would have liked to travel to Perth for the Collie Art Prize but the cost was prohibitive,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But I will be attending the opening of the Maldon Art Prize on 7 June and am looking forward to meeting the other artists.”<\/p>\n
Delohery moved to Ballarat from East Bentleigh five years ago. “It was a good move,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Everyone is so open and friendly, and we know all our neighbours.”<\/p>\n
Delohery lives with his wife, Sandra Minchin Delohery, a performance artist, and their two rescue dogs. “They were eight-year-old siblings when we saw them at the shelter. Most people want puppies, but we wanted to give these seniors a chance,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ARTIST Thomas Delohery is off to a flying start for 2025 after being accepted into two major art prizes for the first time. Irish-born Delohery graduated in Fine Arts at Ulster University Belfast in 1997. He moved to Australia in 2010 on a Distinguished Talent Visa and has taught visual arts at several schools in […]<\/p>\n