The Australian War Memorial has announced that retired major, Mrs Anneke Jamieson, has won the 2022 Napier Waller Art Prize with her portrait, The Promotion.
The Promotion is an acrylic and oil on canvas featuring a servicewoman in uniform breastfeeding her baby. Mrs Jamieson, a mother of three, took inspiration from her own experiences when creating the work.
“I dedicate her to the mothers that serve; to their sacrifices and conflicted hearts and to the families who support them,” Mrs Jamieson said in her artist statement.
The work was selected from a shortlist of 14 highly commended entries. Mrs Jamieson will receive a $10,000 cash prize and the portrait will be added into the Memorial’s National Collection.
The Napier Waller Art Prize is open to all current and former service personnel in the Australian Defence Force.
“We are honoured to provide this opportunity for those who have served, and those still serving, to share their their stories through art,” said Australian War Memorial Director, Matt Anderson.
“The prize encourages artistic excellence, promotes creativity and highlights the experiences and talent of our service personnel.”
“The judges were impressed by all the highly commended works, and we came to a unanimous decision to award the prize to Anneke Jamieson. Her portrait highlights the challenges of commitment to service and family,” said Mr Anderson.
“This year’s short-listed works are of an extremely high standard. They are also quite diverse and show a broad range of artistic talent with a variety of mediums represented,” said Head of Art at the Australian War Memorial, Laura Webster.
“The winning work is very significant because it tells the story of women and mothers in the Australian Defence Force.”
An exhibition featuring 14 highly commended works is being held at Parliament House, Canberra until 20 November 2022.
The accompanying online exhibition features 28 short-listed works. Short-listed artists are eligible for the People’s Choice Award, which has a cash prize of $5,000. Voting for the People’s Choice will continue via the Memorial’s website until the exhibition closes.
Image: Anneke Jamieson, The Promotion, 2021, acrylic and oil on canvas board, 61 x 46 cm – courtesy of the Australian War Memorial
Note: The Napier Waller Art Prize is sponsored by The Hospital Research Foundation Group, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Thales Australia, and is supported by the University of Canberra.