Wyndham Art Gallery established the Wyndham Art Prize in 2015. It has become one of the largest prizes, regarding the number of artists shortlisted, in the country. Each year the artists are shortlisted by Wyndham Art Gallery curators and the judging is done by independent curators and art professionals.
2023 Wyndham Art Prize
17 Aug - 22 Oct 2023
Winners of the Wyndham Art Prize for 2023
The Wyndham Art Prize was awarded to Arrayah Loynd for Dissociated #1 (diptych), a photographic diptych that is a visual distillation of what the artist experiences when they go into a dissociative state due to a combination of medically induced PTSD and ASD.
The LEAP Prize (Local Emerging Art Prize) was won by Point Cook based artist Nandita Nadkarni for her ceramic installation Crafted Clay Odyssey. The composition draws inspiration from the awe-inspiring feat of engineering known as the Spotswood Pumping Station serving the Werribee Treatment Plant, exuding unparalleled biodiversity, transforming waterways in a functional corner of Victoria into a tapestry of natural beauty.
Local Hoppers Crossing artist Duain Kelaart who has taken out the coveted People's Choice Award for his work Bear Man. The artwork is one of the artists largest mixed-media pieces to date and combines painting, sculpture, technology and electronic eyes.
Finalists for the 2023 Wyndham Art Prize
Ourania Amvrazis, Ingmar Apinis, Mart Basa, Anna Battersby, Jeremy Blincoe, Deirdre Boeyen-Carmichael, Claire Bridge, Penny Burnett, Fiona Cabassi, Patricia Casey, Benjamin Cole, Bonnie Connelly, Christina Darras, Penelope Davis, Karl de Waal, Jessica DiCosta, Patrick Duffy, Elizabeth Dunn, Mito Elias, Moey Eltom, Aidan Gageler, Louise Galea, Bob Gibson, Clive Gono, Tim Gregory, Ali Griffin, Jody Haines, Stephen Haley, Spencer Harrison, Katherine Hattam, Guy Hayes, Kristy Hussey, Zoe Jones, Kate Just, Ayman Kaake, Duain Kelaart, Damien Laing, Laniyuk , Ryan Andrew Lee, Katheryn Leopoldseder, Eugenia Lim, Arrayah Loynd, Penny Mason, Hannah McKellar, Lucia Mocnay, Rachel Morley, Nandita Nadkarni, Britt Neech, Connor Ovenden-Shaw, Arty Owens & Enza Gandolfo, Helen Philipp, Izabela Pluta, Victoria Reichelt, Abbey Rich, Carol Rowlands, Rukz One, Thitibodee Rungteerawattananon, Johny Salama, Lee Salomone, Carman Skeehan, Louise Meuwissen, Cathy Staughton, Mark Smith, Meagan Streader, Datsun Tran, Jen Valender, Elizabeth Anne van Herwaarden, Luke Wagner, Sarah Walker, Moreen Wellington Lyons, Prita Tina Yeganeh
The annual prize has three categories: Wyndham Art Prize, LEAP (Local Emerging Art Prize) and People's Choice, with prizes of $15,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. This year, more than 550 works of a very high calibre were entered and 71 were shortlisted for exhibition, nine being local artists.
The judges for the 2023 Wyndham Art Prize were Jason Smith, Director and CEO of Geelong Gallery, Nicole Durling, Executive Director at Craft Victoria and Gail Harradine, Curatorial Manager at Koorie Heritage Trust.
The exhibition showcasing the entries will be on from Thursday 17 August until Sunday 22 October 2023 at the Wyndham Art Gallery.
Visitors can nominate their favourite work for the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced at the gallery's next exhibition opening on Wednesday 8 November.
Click through to view the exhibition catalogue.
Image: Wyndham Art Prize 2023 wining work. Arrayah Loynd, Dissociated #1 (diptych), 2023, archival pigment print on cotton rag. Image courtesy of the artist.
Image: LEAP Prize (Local Emerging Art Prize) 2023 wining work. Nandita Nadkarni, Crafted Clay Odyssey, 2023. ceramic, wood and metal. Image courtesy of the artist.
Image: People's Choice Prize Winning 2023 winning work (detail). Duain Kelaart, Bear Man, 2023, mixed media (detail). Image courtesy of the artist.
Hear from the 2023 winners
Getting to the gallery
Wyndham Art Gallery is 33km from the Melbourne CBD and 43km from Geelong’s CBD.
By Train
Wyndham Art Gallery is a 10 min walk from Werribee Train Station. Currently the V-line is no longer going through Werribee. The closest V-line station is Wyndham Vale, which is a 12 min drive away.
By Car
Wyndham Art Gallery is situated inside the Wyndham Cultural Centre at 177 Watton Street, Werribee. Parking is available on street , a 3hr lot next door to the Wyndham Cultural Centre and all-day parking at the end of the street