The winner of the 2025 Hornsby Art Prize has been announced, with Silke Raetze from Sydney, taking home the top prize for her painting, Green Tea with Alex – a portrait of her friend and fellow artist. The judges commended Raetze on her contemporary use of materials and said, "it is a work that embodies many elements of art making".
"To build the image of Alex, I used paper from every aspect of life – packaging paper for the hair, cardboard pieces for the cup, brown paper from supermarket shopping bags, simple black card and then beautiful handmade papers all collaged together.
"I then stitched, painted and sanded the surface, repeating this process until nuances revealed themselves through the layers. In this way I feel a dialogue with the work emerges. This is the part of my process I enjoy the most," said Raetze.
Raetze's artwork was selected as the winner from a pool of 71 finalists, drawn from an incredible 415 artworks submitted from Hornsby Shire and across Australia. Entries to the categories of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and sculpture competed for a total prize pool valued at $23,000, with the major prize worth $10,000. This year's judging panel were Director of Gosford Regional Gallery, Tim Braham, and artist Stephen Hall.
Hosted by Hornsby Shire Council in partnership with the Hornsby Art Society, the Hornsby Art Prize is a national art prize and exhibition promoting and celebrating outstanding Australian contemporary art.
The winners were presented their awards by Hornsby Shire Councillor Janelle McIntosh at a special ceremony at the Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre on Friday evening.
Winner of the 2025 Hornsby Art Prize, Silke Raetze, Green Tea with Alex, acrylic paint, ink, collaged papers, and stitched thread on canvas
"Thank you to all the artists who entered the Hornsby Art Prize and to the judges who had the difficult job of selecting the winners," said Mayor Waddell.
"Congratulations to our winner, award recipients and finalists. Hornsby Shire Council is committed to supporting arts and culture and it is fantastic to come together and celebrate local and Australia-wide talent."
The Hornsby Shire Local Artist Award went to Roslyn Kean from Galston for her print, Trapped Beneath the Surface, a hand carved and hand printed woodblock on paper. "Taking the time to view what is at the edge or hidden just beneath the surface, the reflections at ground level, and the foundations of what now pushes the skyline into greater heights. Without the ground line we lose our reference and how to care for our environment," said Kean.
The Hornsby Shire Local Artist Award winner, Roslyn Kean, Trapped Beneath the Surface, hand carved and hand printed woodblocks on paper
Other award recipients include:
- Photography Award
Tamara Dean, Realms, photographic print
- Sculpture Award
Rachel Lucas, The Survivor, stoneware ceramic, glaze and copper wire
- Drawing Award
Claire Tozer, Flow, ink pen and pencil on paper
- Printmaking Award
Anne Starling, Home Comforts, linocut and woodblock on paper
- Painting Award
Katherine Edney, I Want to Lie in the Clouds With You, oil on birch panel
