Anita Johnson Wins the 22nd Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize

Anita Johnson has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, coinciding with the opening of the 22nd anniversary exhibition at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf.

The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is Australia’s pre-eminent prize for small sculpture and the first national acquisitive prize for an original sculpture of up to 80cm, presented by Woollahra Council. Anita Johnson has been awarded the $25,000 award, for her work, Tenderness, which will be acquired for the Council’s permanent public collection joining previous winners Bruce Reynolds, Tim Silver, Robert Owen, Yvonne Kendall, Rhonda Sharpe and Mikala Dwyer.

Tenderness is made from a salvaged cricket ball, moulded and dyed leather, linen thread and possum fur. When Johnson found the ball in a state of ruin, she was drawn to the vulnerability of its wounded form. By taking a cast of her breast and using it to wet mould leather, an ‘object-prosthetic’ was produced. Possum fur—a sculptural nod to Meret Oppenheim and the possum skin blankets of her own youth—enhances the sense of comfort further still. The cricket ball, repaired in this manner, reveals compassion and tenderness in the wake of violence.

Winning artist Anita Johnson commented on the award: “My heartfelt deep gratitude for this support. This award will give me some much needed financial breathing space to run with ideas for new artworks. But more than that this recognition touches my heart in profound ways that has surprised me and brought me to joyful tears. There has been much dancing and whooping around my house with my son.”

Robert Michael Young received the Special Commendation Award of $2,000 for Cultural Cradle, while Jamie North was selected for the Mayor’s Award, winning $1,000 for Remainder No.52.

“With so much talent on display, choosing an artwork for the Mayor’s Award is no easy task but I was particularly drawn to Jamie North’s artwork, Remainder No.52. because it spoke to me of decay and that out of decay comes growth, life and hope. Congratulations to Jamie on a fantastic piece,” said Woollahra Mayor, Richard Shields, of the Mayor’s Award Winner.

“Woollahra Council has a proud history of strong support for the arts and I am delighted that this continues through the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize and our Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Gallery to view all of this year’s winners and finalists,” he added.

This year, the judges have also awarded Nathan Beard a special Judges’ Award, winning $2,000 for Corsage.

“Anita Johnson’s winning artwork Tenderness is a beautifully observed and crafted work that surprises and delights with its empathy and humour. It somehow seems to sum up what it is to be Australian in its sweet pathos and tragedy. All this achieved within a confident intimate small scale in the best manner of Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize winners,” said 2023 judge Alex Seton, on the 2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.

The finalists, who were selected from 610 entries, represent a mix of emerging and established artists from across Australia as well as international artists from the USA, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Finalists include Anna May Kirk, Jamie North, Juz Kitson, Kendal Murray, Kenny Pittock, Kyra Mancktelow, Madisyn Zabel, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Mylyn Nguyen and Orson Heidrich.

Exploring contemporary issues and themes from bridging the past to the present and future, to our impact within the natural and built world, the 2023 finalists’ works will be on display at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf in an exhibition running from 28 September to 5 November 2023. All sculptures are on sale to the public with prices ranging from $300 to over $26,000. Admission is free and the gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday.

A number of talks will also take place in the gallery on Saturday, 7 October from 1.30pm, featuring Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize finalists Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Jaqueline Bradley, Anna May Kirk, Amelia Skelton, Braddon Snape, Orson Heidrich, Catherine O’Donnell, Mylyn Nguyen and 2023 winner Anita Johnson.

The talks will be mediated by judge and 2009 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize winner Alex Seton, Managing Principal, Senior Curator, UAP, 2023 Gold Sponsor Owen Craven, and Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf Director, Pippa Mott.

The Viewers’ Choice Award is open until midnight on 5 November, giving gallery visitors the opportunity to vote for their favourite sculpture. Voting takes place online via the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf website. The winner of The Viewers’ Choice Award will receive $1,000.

The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is a key annual event for Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, which opened its doors in November 2021, hosting the Prize as its first exhibition. The historic 126-year-old St Brigid’s building, owned by Woollahra Council, was restored and reinvented into a new Gallery space by Tanner Kibble Denton Architects, overlooking Sydney Harbour in Double Bay and spanning two levels.

The Gallery is led by curator and cultural producer Pippa Mott, who was appointed Director of Woollahra Gallery in May 2023. Pippa has extensive experience in the arts and cultural sector, most recently as curator at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona). Her expertise includes curation, production, collections management, acquisitions, arts writing and public programming.

Dates of exhibition: Thursday 28 September – Sunday 5 November 2023

More information: woollahragallery.com.au