Archibald Prize lands in Geelong

GEELONG Gallery will open its doors tomorrow (Saturday, August 30) as the first stop on the Archibald Prize 2025’s regional tour.

The celebrated art award highlights the best in contemporary portraiture and captures moments in time.

Artist Julie Fragar was awarded this year’s $100,000 prize for her portrait of Justene Williams and is among 57 finalists chosen from more than 900 entrants.

“You work your whole career imagining this might happen one day,” Ms Fragar said.

“Thinking back to myself as a 17-year-old showing up at the Sydney College of the Arts – a kid from country New South Wales – it’s incredible to think I have won the Archibald Prize.

“Portrait painting wasn’t taken very seriously in the 1990s as it is today. I have always regarded the Archibald Prize as a place that understood the value of portraiture.”

 

Other finalists for the prize include portraits of Australian of the Year recipients Neale Daniher and Grace Tame, comedian and actor Aaron Chen, and Boy Swallows Universe star Felix Cameron.

Jaq Grantford is one of the Victorian artists featured in the exhibition, with her piece titled Sisters, a portrait of sisters Antonia and Nicole Kidman.

The sitting for the portrait took place on Christmas Eve as a tribute to their mother Janelle Kidman, who died in September last year and was one of her final wishes.

“The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s favourite exhibitions, and we know Geelong is going to love having it back in our city,” Geelong Gallery director and chief executive officer Humphrey Clegg said.

“The 2025 exhibition gives us a snapshot of some of today’s most interesting social themes and subjects from the artworld through to popular culture. It needs little introduction and is not to be missed.”

The Archibald Prize will be open at Geelong Gallery until November 9.

For more information, tickets and the full list of finalists, head to geelonggallery.org.au