Shona Wilson

Precious

Insect wings and parts on Arches archival 300gsm paper, 86 x 66 cm (framed)

I collected these insect wings and parts over a couple of decades and always squealed with delight at the chance findings. Having stored them for so long I decided to use them in a single work. Each specimen I found was a precious jewel, both in appearance and in function. The shape they form overall is also like a jewel, glistening, alluring and beautiful.

During the making of this work, I started more consciously looking for more dead specimens to include. To my surprise and sadness I realised just how few insects were around, and also, how few I had found in the last 10 years. I live regionally in an area surrounded by National Parks and a ‘healthy environment’ – so where are the insects?

Insects are particularly susceptible to changes in temperature and moisture. They are experiencing what some scientists term an Insect Apocalypse. This work is a lament and an adoration for the preciousness of our natural world, and its exquisite fragility.

Tate Boswarva

Occyan Morphosis

17 upcycled denim jeans
21 metres of recycled soft plastic packaging
8 chewing gum containers
9 mineral water bottles
3 takeaway containers
Cyanotype dying liquid
Repurposed cotton thread and invisible zipper

"Occyan Morphosis" is inspired by marine life entangled in plastic waste. I envision a future where animals mutate for survival and take a journey of metamorphosis. The bolero, bralette, and trousers, created from 17 upcycled denim jeans – each stitch a reminder of the 4,000 litres of water typically required to produce a single pair – alongside 21 metres of discarded fast fashion plastic packaging and sequins repurposed from chewing gum containers, coffee cup lids, water bottles, and takeaway containers, collected over the past five years, serve as symbols of a hopeful future built upon principles of sustainability and resourcefulness. I've utilised the sun's energy to dye the fabric through the cyanotype process, incorporating objects that mirror ocean pollution, allowing the environment to influence the design, resulting in denim that reflects the colours of the ocean. This wearable art encourages viewers to re-imagine our relationship with the environment and embrace creativity for a greener world.

Sierra Knights

Always Spotted But Rarely Seen

- Flour paste (flour and water)
- Paper from recycling bin
- Cardboard from recycling bin
- Used paper towel
- Acrylics
- Masking tape

50 x 92 cm

The whale shark is a vulnerable species due to habitat loss in the form of overfishing of reef fish, coastal development, land based pollution, increased boat traffic and noise pollution. Also the constant threat of fishing, harassment and boat strikes are endangering this rare fish. I tried to bring awareness that this gentle giant is actually endangered. As a 14 year old girl shark fanatic I’d like to think I captured this animal’s beauty through my art piece. I made this whale shark out of cardboard and paper from our recycling bin. I tried my best to make it decomposable so the glue is made out of flour and water. I thought by doing this I could minimise recycling waste in my home to create art and honour the endangered fish that is the whale shark.

Gaspare Moscone
Aletheia

molong marble, 70 x 25 x 50cm

Prize: $20,000

These bones find timeless existence in marble, granting enduring witness. 

Relics hold narratives. Deformity and marks translates the very imprecise happening of life, like the countless events that shape experiences of all creature. 

This artwork is a relic to invoke power, knowledge, reminding of delicate human endeavours.

Unwavering, it reveals hidden truths, often overlooked and unacknowledged, standing as a testament to the ultimate silence of our actions and the fragility of human behaviour.

Judges’ comments
“The judges are unanimous in their decision.”
“The judges would like to congratulate the artist on a poignant and emotive work.”
“The language and communication of the work is clear and universal.”
“The work communicates a feeling of dire emergency associated with ecological catastrophe.”
“The judges appreciate the telling of untold histories, and the relics of these untold histories – forcing us to rethink history.”
“We appreciate technical mastery.”

Thomas Thorby-Lister
Rainwater 04

acrylic and rainwater on linen, 150 x 180cm

Angela Tiatia
The Dark Current

digital moving image, including sound, performance, dance, scripted sequences and set building/design

Elliot Bastianon
Oregon Chair

timber, copper, 28.5 x 75 x 45cm

Prize: $20,000

Oregon Chair is constructed from a reclaimed Oregon timber beam and paired with a salvaged copper pipe to create a simple structure. 

The form is unfussy, leaving the materials to do the heavy lifting with their generous sizes and contrasting surfaces.

The aged copper and fine growth rings are an acknowledgement of time and change and encourage the viewer to consider our relationship with materials that may have had a previous life elsewhere. 

The huge dovetail joint which proudly stands front and centre is a nod to the kind of craftsmanship seen in more traditional furniture, and a gesture of durability and permanence.

Judges’ comments:
“The judges enjoyed the sculptured curiosity of the work.”
“Visually exciting work with a simple combination of minimal geometry.”
“Judges loved that this work will continue to evolve over time.”
“Refined craftsmanship, beautifully realised junctions of materials.”

Portia Pringle
Reborn

recycled cotton/wool yarn, 100 x 150cm

Prize: $500

My artwork is called 'Reborn'. The artwork is not about reusing clothing, but seeing if I could reuse the material. I am always receiving hand me downs from friends and family. I received a jumper that I didn’t like but I liked the colour and the material. I unthreaded the jumper and re-crocheted the yarn into a scarf. By doing this I was able to repurpose the material into a new and exciting piece of clothing. 

This process has allowed me to look at not just recycling clothing but recycling materials.

Judges’ comments: 
“Great to see re-use/re-purposing of raw materials in a fashion outcome.”
“Impressive work for a young artist.”
“The work is hopeful, making something new from an old garment.”

Jeremy Zhang
A Magical Jungle

markers and pencil, 75 x 16cm

Prize: $500

This is a world with small creatures big, and big creatures small.

Judges’ comments: 
“Journey into the imagination of the artist.”
“Beautiful use of colour and composition.”
“A very strong work for someone of a young age.”
“Beautiful poetry in the description of the work, bringing focus to the small creatures and vice versa.”

Isabella Wu
We

watercolour paper, watercolour brush pens, pencil, 25 x 50cm

Prize: $1,000

The interconnectedness of nature and blossoming of life guides me to live with nurturing kindness.

Judges’ comments: 
“Beautifully considered composition and attention to detail in the craft of painting.”
“Strong evidence of imagination in this surreal work.”
“Captured a coming-of-age message through juxtaposition of innocence with prickly/hard edges.”

Lucy Wang
Thrive and Dive

acrylic paint on canvas, 38 x 53cm

Prize: $1,000

Birds serve as powerful symbols of hope and resilience, inspiring us to persevere in the face of our own challenges and to cherish the preciousness of the natural world.

Despite the relentless human development and the degradation of habitats, the sacred kingfisher continues to hunt tirelessly, in both the sky above and below.

Judges’ comments: 
“Sense of maturity in the use of colour, texture, and brushwork.”
“Beauty in the freedom of composition.”
“Strange sense of movement and text. Lovely use of colour and depth.”

Skye Yu
A Smear of Crimson

oil on canvas, 50 x 100cm