The winner of the Remagine Art Prize 2023 has been announced, with Canberra glass artist Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello taking out the first prize of $5,000 for her sculpture, Not Wasted, made from recycled television screens. Of Arrernte (Australian Central Desert), Chinese and Anglo-Celtic descent, Martiniello embraces 60,000 years of Indigenous Australian culture through her identity and the medium of glass.
"This work illustrates my caretaker roles of taking care of Country and shattering silences around dominant culture taboo about speaking openly about death. This is a self-portrait illustrating my journey through lung cancer and subsequent metastatic brain tumours," said Martiniello.
"It is also about taking care of Country despite being an urban-based First Nations artist who has used various forms of western technology which contemporary society discards, with no clue as to what harm it may cause to the 'Mother' who nurtures us."
The annual Remagine Art Prize is hosted by Hornsby Shire Council in partnership with Hornsby Art Society. This competition challenges artists to create works in response to the crisis we are all facing with waste and over-consumption. The theme for this year was 'Wasteland or Wonderland', referring to the decisions that we make each day about how much waste we create.
Kyogle-based painter Ross Tamlin was named runner up, winning $3,000 in prize money for his painting, Scrap Metal.
"I am an artist who has been recycling waste house and industrial paint, using it in my paintings for years. I was inspired to do a painting of the scrap metal I had seen on a recent trip to the local tip and was amazed by the massive pile of industrial and household waste," said Tamlin.
Talented Hornsby photographer Orlando Luminere collected the Local Artist Award and a $1,000 prize for his photograph, Wasteful Photography.
Claire Engkaninan Low from Kirribilli secured the Recycled/Reused Materials Award and $1,000 in prize money for her painting on a discarded skateboard, All Monsters Are Real. Kiacatoo's mosaic artist Kelly MacKey was also acknowledged in this category, with a Highly Commended by the judges.
Mt. Victoria's Scott Collins won the Youth Award (16-21 years) and $750 in prize money for his artwork, Ethereal Wasteland.
Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock praised the finalists for their inspiring artworks.
"Congratulations to these worthy winners of the Remagine Art Prize. These artists have expressed their passion for sustainability and the environment through each of these unique, thought-provoking works. Council remains committed to preserving our natural environment for generations to come. This year's theme emphasised how we can all play a part in reducing waste and living more sustainably," Mayor Ruddock said.
The respected panel of judges for 2023 was Australian contemporary artist, Leila Jeffreys, curator Nick Vickers, and John Cheeseman, Director of Mosman Art Gallery.
Art lovers can visit the 2023 Remagine Art Prize finalist exhibition at Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre, 25 Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby until Sunday, 4 June 2023. Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 4pm. Free entry.
