Bowness Photography Prize 2022 shortlist revealed

A total of 54 works have been shortlisted in the annual William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize from 1,334 entries. Compiled by acclaimed artist Rosemary Laing, Hannah Presley, Director of Agency and Senior Curator, Museums and Collections at University of Melbourne, and Anouska Phizacklea, Director at the Monash Gallery of Art, the shortlisted images are a showcase of contemporary Australian artists featuring landscape, architectural and portrait photographs.

© Tamara Dean. I've always wondered when soon is, 2022, from the series, Palace of dreams. Pigment ink-jet print, 160 x 120 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).
© Tamara Dean. I've always wondered when soon is, 2022, from the series, Palace of dreams. Pigment ink-jet print, 160 x 120 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).

"The Bowness Photography Prize is the anchor to our annual programming and this year’s shortlist captures the depth and breadth of photographic practice in Australia made in the depth of the pandemic. What was surprising is that only a few works directly addressed the impact of COVID on society, with artists tending to return their focus to areas that interest them…”, said Anouska Phizacklea.

© Michael Cook. Enculturation #5, 2022, from the series, Enculturation. 100 x 180 cm, courtesy of the artist, This Is No Fantasy (Melbourne) and Jan Murphy Gallery (Brisbane).
© Michael Cook. Enculturation #5, 2022, from the series, Enculturation. 100 x 180 cm, courtesy of the artist, This Is No Fantasy (Melbourne) and Jan Murphy Gallery (Brisbane).

Run each year for the last 16 years, the Bowness Photography Prize is annual survey of contemporary photographic practice in Australia. Monash Gallery of Art invited artists to submit still photo-based media including analogue and digital photography created over the last year for consideration. The winning work will be awarded $30,000 and will be acquired into MGA’s nationally significant collection of Australian photographs. The Smith & Singer People’s Choice Award will be voted by the public with the recipient receiving $5,000. One artist will also be selected for the $10,000 Wai Tang Commissioning Award which will coincide with the 2023 Bowness Photography Prize exhibition season.

© Narelle Autio. Life Less 2022, from the series, Trashed. Pigment ink-jet print, 100 x 148 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).
© Narelle Autio. Life Less, 2022, from the series, Trashed. Pigment ink-jet print, 100 x 148 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).

Shortlisted finalists

Michele Aboud, Kay Abude, Jilamara Arts, Narelle Autio, Jack Ball, Ramak Bamzar,, Arini Byng, Danica Chappell, Miriam Charlie, Jess Coldrey, Michael Cook, Michael Corridore, Sarah Cusack, Rebecca Dagnall, J Davies, Tamara Dean, Damian Dillon, Marian Drew, Rozalind Drummond, Sophie Dumaresq, Stephen Dupont, Odette England, Robert Fielding, Andrea Francolini, Amos Gebhardt, Mike Gillam, Ponch Hawkes, Petrina Hicks, Samantha Jade, Ayman Kaake, Shea Kirk, Janet Laurence, Honey Long and Prue Stent, Janelle Low, David Manley, Jesse Marlow, Janine McGuinness, Danie Mellor, Phuong Ngo, Selina Ou, Sanja Pahoki, Sonia Payes, Patrick Pound, Ruiqi Qiu, Kiron Robinson, Angus Scott, Cecilia Sordi Campos, David Stephenson, Margot Stewart, Cyrus Tang, The Huxleys, Lyndal Walker, Hilary Wardhaugh, and Lydia Wegner.

© The Huxleys. Moonage daydream, 2021, from the series, Places of worship. Pigment ink-jet print, 
76 x 106 cm.
© The Huxleys. Moonage daydream, 2021, from the series, Places of worship. Pigment ink-jet print, 76 x 106 cm.

Key dates

Exhibition: 29 September – 13 November, 2022

Award announcement: Thursday 6 October, 2022

The online gallery to view the shortlist will be released on Friday, 5 August 2022.

© Danie Mellor. The far country, 2022. Chromogenic print, 180 X 240 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries (Melbourne).
© Danie Mellor. The far country, 2022. Chromogenic print, 180 X 240 cm. Courtesy of the artist and
Tolarno Galleries (Melbourne).

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