THE winners of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale\u2019s major prizes have been announced.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize for a portrait of a living distinguished individual, and the Fineman New Photography Award for photographic artists working throughout the Asia-Pacific region were give out.<\/p>\n
Mia Mala McDonald took out the $15,000 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize for her portrait of AFLW footballer Darcy Vescio.<\/p>\n
Judges for the prize were artistic director and CEO of the Biennale, Fiona Sweet, and director of the Castlemaine Art Museum Naomi Cass,<\/p>\n
They commended McDonald\u2019s mixed use of \u201cpopular traditions of commercial portrait photography\u201d and \u201ca subtle and uncanny directorial mode, and framing which bestows character to the subject\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurrounded by gold and glitter here is a relaxed young woman comfortable in her body, humble even, looking away from the viewer,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere is someone so accomplished she is happy to strike a new pose for a new way of thinking about women in high-profile sport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australian visual artist Liss Fenwick won the $10,000 Fineman New Photography Award for her series of photographs taken in the Northern Territory, titled Back Out<\/em>.<\/p>\n Judges included arts director of Asialink Pippa Dickson, director of La Trobe University\u2019s art institute Bala Starr and Ms Sweet.<\/p>\n They said Fenwick\u2019s work \u201cexpands, with great vividness, the value-judgements of terrain, land use and function.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/Liss-Fenwick_Nuptial-Flight_S-300x214.jpg\")