By Parker McKenzie
Boronia-based artist Hannah Caprice has been nominated as one of 29 Victorian finalists in the National Capital Art Prize.
Her artwork Floating among the reeds was nominated for the sustainability prize. It will be judged during the final round in Canberra while being displayed for four weeks in a public exhibition, with the winner of the sustainability prize being awarded $15,000.
Ms Caprice said one of the themes in Floating Among the Reeds is the concept of hybrid identity.
“The series that I’m working on features many creatures that are made up of different parts making them whole, and they look a bit strange,” she said.
“They are misfit creatures that are trying to find their place and ways of being in the world, relating to others and searching for meaning and for intimacy.”
The artwork depicts a duck-billed, beaver-tailed and otter-footed mammal sharing a moment with a friend.
Ms Caprice said she used multiple techniques to achieve the desired results in the artwork.
“The hand-coloured part was the least time-consuming because that’s where the orangey-yellow water is, it was coloured over the top of the print,” she said.
“Most of the work was done with a process called etching and aquatinting, it’s a very technical sort of process.”
The new category is based on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.” Artists based their works on one or more UN goals: clean water and sanitation, climate action, life below water or responsible consumption and production.
Director and founder of the National Capital Art Prize Robert Stephens said he was thrilled to see the unique, thought-provoking and inspiring artwork across a wide range of styles and mediums.
“Several of Australia’s best-known artists, including previous Archibald finalists, have submitted works and some really brilliant pieces have been received from emerging new talent,” he said.
“The standard and variety of artworks are amazing. The judging panel really had their work cut out selecting the finalists! It will be exciting to see them in situ at the public exhibition in Canberra through September and October.”
The exhibition will be held at the Fitters’ Workshop in Canberra, with the 2022 category winners announced in early September.
Ms Caprice’s and other finalist’s artwork can be viewed at nationalcapitalartprize.com.au/2022-finalists
