It’s a dog day as the Archibald Prize delivery deadline looms
By Helen Pitt
In the final countdown to the delivery of artworks in the 2024 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, a rainy day became a dog day as several canine sitters padded into the Art Gallery of NSW packing room to drop off last-minute entries with their owners.
One pooch, Benji, a two-year-old pomeranian, travelled from the Sutherland Shire with owner Elysia Aravena to hand over a portrait of them both by Cronulla artist Vera Arbinja.
Artist Vera Arbinja, with sitter Elysia Aravena and Benji the dog, delivers her work to the loading dock of the Art Gallery of NSW.Credit: Janie Barrett
The trio met at Moore Design Collective, a shop in Miranda, and Arbinja was inspired to paint Benji and Elysia in the style of Frida Kahlo, delivering the portrait dressed in bright pink headdresses and outfits.
“I love Frida Kahlo, and Benji was a delight to paint,” she said of the perfectly behaved pup as he posed for photos by packing-room staff as if he were auditioning for lead lapdog in Legally Blonde.
Another dog, Denzel, who has his own Instagram account, came along to provide moral support to his owner, Archibald artist Justine Muller, as she delivered her picture of river activist Kate McBride.
“Double Act” portrait of Todd McKenney and his greyhound Nancye Hayes.Credit:
“Nancye Hayes”, the greyhound owned by Dancing with the Stars’ Todd McKenney, also featured in an Archibald entry painting by Sydney artist John Klein entitled Double Act.
“Many people know Todd as a singer, dancer and TV personality. However, few know about the work that he does with Greyhound as Pets NSW as an ambassador,” Klein said.
In the final hours of delivery for the three major art prizes, the line of cars and trucks conveying artworks at one point stretched all the way down Art Gallery Road to St Mary’s Cathedral.
Some had come a long way. Artist Alana Lacy drove from Melbourne to deliver her painting of DJ Shio Otani – and her cat, Fontella – while Dianne Nally had travelled from the country Victoria town of Kyabram with her fiance, Andrew Doherty. She has painted former Kids in the Kitchen band member Bruce Curnow, who now owns a music store in Shepparton.
Did you spot Fontella? Melbourne artist Alana Lacy painted DJ Shio Otani with her cat.Credit: Janie Barrett
Other faces captured this year include musicians Marcia Hines by Johnny Hillier, the Wiggles’ Anthony Field by Camellia Morris, and Seann Miley Moore by Bella Brazzese; actors Jacob Elordi by Caroline Zilinsky, and Richard Roxburgh by Jeremy Eden; and almost every member of the cast of Netflix’s Heartbreak High by various artists.
Movie critic David Stratton was also depicted by artist Nick Stathopoulos, who won the People’s Choice Award in 2016 with his portrait of Sudanese refugee and lawyer Deng Adut.
Robert Hannaford, 27-time Archibald finalist and three-times People’s Choice winner was painted by his daughter Tsering Hannaford, a nine-time Archibald finalist herself.
Delivering her painting, Hannaford said her father had “enjoyed the process of being painted, he says he now has more empathy for his subjects now he’s been on the other side of the canvas”.
Four-time People’s Choice winner and multiple-time finalist Vincent Fantauzzo has painted Indigenous academic Professor Tom Calma, chancellor of the University of Canberra, human rights and social justice campaigner, and 2023 senior Australian of the Year. He has again used the giant hyperreal style he used to paint his partner, actor Asher Keddie, which won the 2013 People’s Choice award.
The finalists for all three prizes will be announced on May 30. The winner of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes will be announced on June 7.