The Studio Gallery congratulates four Studio Artists who are selected as finalists in the curated Art Prize exhibition, The Jury Art Prize.
Kay Gibson, Lori Pensini, Paula Wiegmink and Marjan Bakhtiarikish will be among the 55 artists who work across regional and remote WA to showcase their work at The Junction Co. and Courthouse Gallery + Studio commencing Friday 11 June.
'Finalists were selected from across all regions, and included painting, photography, sculpture, digital and mixed media from both Aboriginal and non-indigenous artists.'
'The Prize will be judged by industry experts, artist Damien Shen, multidisciplinary artist and poet Jazz Money and acclaimed curator Sandra Murray.'
'There are four key prize categories, the Judge’s Prize, Kathy Donnelly Encouragement Prize, Jury Prize (people’s choice) and Patron Award supported by the Town of Port Hedland, with prize monies for the Jury Prize and Judge’s prize being equal value of $10,000 each.'

Kay Gibson - ARTIST STATEMENT
In the Balance
Animals, nature, emotion and connection. These are the things that drive my art. My work is about the emotional life of animals and their place in the ecosystem. When I look at the Australian ‘landscape’ I not only see its geological beauty but I also see the symbiotic relationship with our unique wildlife. The dingo holds a significant place in the ecosystem. When they don’t have their social structure disrupted by poison baiting, trapping and shooting only the apex female breeds, once a year at the most. These family groups have strictly defined ranges, and they kill or chase off other wild dogs or dingoes that intrude. They also keep kangaroos down to very low numbers, which is a huge benefit in regards to pasture growth for graziers. The dingoes also limit feral pig, cat and fox numbers which in turn benefit biodiversity conservation and soil condition.

Lori Pensini - ARTIST STATEMENT
The Burrup Moon
I sat out at Murujuga National park at the Burrup recently, some 20 years on from my first visit. The landscape reddened now, not only from the pindan dust but from the mourning tears of lost culture. The old ways are all but a whisper, thin threads against the hungry squalling winds of industry. Childhood legend speaks of our loved ones shining down on us from the moon, here I attribute this perspective detailing a waning moon with aboriginal woman spirit crying from the ruination of her peoples, landscape and lore.

Paula Wiegmink - ARTIST STATEMENT
Magpie Manoeuvres
Always surprised how smaller birds manage to not only attack but to successfully fend off larger birds of prey was the inspiration for 'Magpie Manoeuvres.' The behaviour of 'mobbing' is a term used when smaller birds fend off larger birds protecting their nests and environment. Speed enables these birds to successfully fend off hostile predators. They usually attack the larger birds from behind or above to avoid the larger birds' talons. This only goes to show that being small is not necessarily a limitation. Magpies are notorious for swooping on humans, no doubt an effective deterrent in protecting their young, not unlike human behaviour. The wonderful wheatbelt landscape of Western Australia and moody sky provided the perfect backdrop for 'Magpie Manoeuvres'. I chose to paint in acrylic using a multi layering method on canvas in a realistic style. The artwork depicts an Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen) pursuing a whistling kite (Haliastur sphenurus). Both species can be frequently spotted throughout Western Australia.

Marjan Bakhtiarikish - ARTIST STATEMENT
Tomorrow
This painting came about as part of a series of paintings resulting from my ongoing fascination with Rembrandt’s luscious late painting technique and my admiration for the “timeless” portraits of Old Masters. The timeless portrait attempts to go beyond the particular individual and address all humanity through an idealization that would embrace archetypal human emotions. The image of the child emerges like an apparition out of the mists of time and space. A sense of awareness and foreboding of a future unknown may enshroud her as she stands in the evening of her childhood. Scrapings of palette knife, pushing the bristles around, dragging, sculpting, building and building layers, at times removing; all helped express her innocence, fragility and yet her emerging inner strength and resolution. In this age of uncertainty, I believed this rough but subtle, ancient language of painting could best evoke the mystical presence of future hope.