Jane Doe - My Sulman Art Prize entry 2021

Just because I wasn’t selected as a finalist to the Sir Sulman Art Prize this year doesn’t mean that I am not going to show my entry to the world, so here you go!

For those international readers; the Sir Sulman Art Prize is celebrated each year in conjunction with the Archibald Art Prize and the Wynne Art Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. These awards are considered among the most prestigious in the country and each year receive thousands of entries from around Australia.

The Sulman entry must be a subject painting; idealized or dramatized. Typically, a subject painting takes its theme from history, poetry, mythology, or religion. In both cases, however, the style may be figurative, representative, abstract, or semi-abstract.

I very rarely go for figurative subjects, but this year I decided to challenge myself and bring to the table a hot topic around the world: sexual assault.

‘Jane Doe’ is an unknown victim. The work reflects the subject as ageless, of no particular gender. It depicts the repulsion that exists around the conversation on sexual assault and the grooming, the psychological control, and the fear that comes with it.

Every detail of this work has an intention that I will leave for the viewer to discover as I do believe that the journey into this work will be very intimate and individual.

In my clinical practice, I am exposed to the consequences of this kind of act and although my time with my patients is quite short, I can see how deep the emotional wounds are.

‘Jane Doe’ is a tribute to survivors of sexual abuse and; a call to action from our society. I will be collecting my artwork from the NSW Art Gallery next week feeling proud of raising my voice for you!