Entries for the 2021 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize now open!

BIFB-Steve-Young-Paul-Kelly-2019-detailThe Ballarat International Foto Biennale has announced that entries for the 2021 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize are now open.

The Martin Kantor Portrait Prize is open to all photographers and photo media artists and gives you the chance to have your work displayed and viewed at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale from 28 August to 24 October 2021 in Ballarat.

The acquisitive first prize of $15,000, generously supported by the Dara Foundation, will be awarded to the work judged to be an exceptional photographic portrait of a significant Australian. This must be a portrait of a living individual distinguished in art, letters, science, sports or politics.

Judges for 2021 include Naomi Cass, Director – Castlemaine Art Museum; Max Delany, Artistic Director and CEO – Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; Bill Henson, Leading Australian Photographer; and Fiona Sweet, Director – Ballarat International Foto Biennale.

Previous winners have included: Penelope Hunt, Finding Focus (2019), and Elli Bardas, Vicki Vidor OAM (2017).

Martin Kantor was a photographer and philanthropist who was known for his arresting portraits of famous musicians and artists like Iggy Pop, Howard Arkley, painter Adam Cullen and conceptual artist Dale Frank.

His image of Mark Seymour, the lead singer of Hunters and Collectors, was used by the band for an album cover and is a classic representation of Australian rock and roll. Kantor founded the well-known St Kilda gallery Brightspace and was a strong supporter of indigenous and environmental causes.


Entries for the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize are now open and close 1 May 2021. Finalists announced 15 June 2021. Exhibition: 28 August to 24 October 2021. For more information, including entry guidelines, visit: www.ballaratfoto.org for details.

Image: Steve Young, Paul Kelly, 2019 (detail) – Winner of the People’s Choice Award, 2019 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize – courtesy of Ballarat International Foto Biennale