Majer’s Three Boulders claims Queenscliff Arts Prize

VICTORIAN contemporary artist Irene Majer has been crowned the overall winner of the 2023 Queenscliff Arts Prize, Australia’s biggest outdoor art and photographical exhibition.

Triumphing 230 pieces of work that were sent to the Queenscliff Pier from all over the country, Mrs Majer’s mixed medium canvas piece ‘Boulders Three’, was cited as the winner of the contest and lauded for its originality and attention to detail.

For her winning work, Mrs Majer used a mix of acrylic, oil, pencil, crayon, pens, alcohol, and gold and silver leaf to create a visual representation of a three-boulder statue that is close to her home in Heathcote.

In her piece, she exhibits her love for black cockatoos and sheep and invites viewers to linger longer and look closer at its intricate artistic details, particularly on the boulders.

“This is the first time I’ve entered the prize and I was thrilled to win, I certainly wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said.

“For me, I love combining an abstract approach with realism.

“In my winning print, you can see the shape of the boulders and birds is that example of realism.

“I also play around and go abstract with the patterns and detail on the boulders which include turtles and written words that are meaningful to me.

“A lot of other works that were exhibited along the Queenscliff Pier were certainly deserving of the prize, so its a huge honour to win it.”

The Heathcote local discovered her love for art by painting underwater scenes as a PADI Divemaster in North Queensland, before working for Ford Motor company as an automotive designer and clay modeller.

After the birth of her first child 33 years ago, she turned to the contemporary medium and hasn’t looked back, earning a series of artistic prizes in the process.

Mrs Majer said she was thankful that Queenscliff Arts Prize curator Chris MacLeod extended the olive branch for her to compete and encouraged more people to get involved.

“I actually heard of the prize through a friend and then was invited by Chris to compete in it,” she said.

“It’s certainly a great opportunity for artists of all levels to get their art out there.

“The recognition of entering and then winning has gone far beyond what I expected, that’s for sure.”

Mrs Majer’s winning artwork can be seen on the Queenscliff Pier till the end of April.

To see the full list of divisional winners, head to www.queenscliffartprize.com.au/