Fiona O'Byrne first picked up a paintbrush at 36, fitting art classes around her day job and a young family. This week, the Melbourne-based artist won the $50,000 Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture for Luci, now, an oil-on-linen painting of her 20-year-old daughter sitting on a stool, her expression neutral.
O'Byrne has painted her children for more than a decade. The winning work captures a daughter on the edge of adulthood, and O'Byrne says making it was as much about time as paint.
"Sitting together, you really see time move, and you see how the relationship changes," O'Byrne wrote about the work. "It's an opportunity for me to stop and spend time observing her in this moment of her life. Painting her was just a way of holding onto that fierce, generous heart."
A Second Career Built Around the Day Job
O'Byrne's path to the winner's podium wasn't a straight line. For the past 10 years, she has divided her time between painting and landscape architecture, fitting her creative work around paid employment.
"When my youngest was one I felt like I really needed to do something outside my day job, something creative, and I took myself off to an art class and never looked back," she told the ABC. "I found my tribe, I found my happy place - it was life changing for me."
The prize money matters in practical terms. O'Byrne said it would let her explore new ideas without the pressure of selling the pieces. "For me it's a huge amount of freedom it gives me as an artist." That's a telling remark. Many working artists feel financial pressure shape what they make, and a prize that buys room to experiment can change the work itself.
Judges Alan Dodge, John McDonald and Bryony Nainby said the portrait's softness and tenderness captivated them, conveyed through an "unlaboured handling of paint". They pointed to the intimacy between sitter and artist, the apparent ease in the subject's expression, the treatment of light, and details of the jacket and nail varnish.
Emerging Voices and Queer Iranian Joy
Perth-based artist and honours student Yasamin Khadembashi won the $10,000 Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize for Immoral Warrior, a two-metre-long re-imagined self-portrait inspired by Iranian folklore. "It's an ode to Iranian women... it really shows the Iranian spirit," she said. "I wanted something to be distinctive for representing queer Iranian joy and pride."
The judges praised her bold and adventurous use of rhinestones, synthetic eyelash extensions and metal leaf. "The artist did not play it safe, but their bravery paid off," they said.
Sky Parra's Portrait of Scott Austic, Sharon Billinge's Celeste 3, Kim Harding's Kim with Black Cockatoo, Ben Howe's Matilda in Blue and Dapeng Liu's Guido also received prizes.
A Record Field and a National Reach
The Lester Prize has a total prize pool of $140,000 and received more than 1,100 submissions this year, the most in its history. Russell Lester, founding partner of The Lester Prize, said the submissions reflected the prize's impact on the arts community.
"Our ongoing stewardship of Australian talent and creativity is of utmost importance," Mr Lester said. "Over 60 per cent of the entries come from outside Western Australia, so it's great to bring the community together to celebrate portraiture."
An exhibition of the 40 finalist works is on display at Perth's WA Museum Boola Bardip until November 29.
Why This Matters:
Private prizes like the Lester are among the few reliable sources of money and recognition for Australian artists, many of whom, like O'Byrne, hold down other jobs to keep making work. O'Byrne's words about "freedom" and escaping the pressure of selling underline how much financial security shapes creative risk. The record 1,100-plus submissions, with more than 60 per cent coming from outside Western Australia, suggest strong demand for opportunities reaching beyond a single state. Khadembashi's win for a work celebrating queer Iranian pride also shows how prizes can make room for voices and stories that are often underrepresented. Should that kind of support rest mainly on private sponsors, or should public arts funding share the responsibility? The 40 finalist works remain on display at Perth's WA Museum Boola Bardip until November 29.