Portrait of a Senior Territorian Award

The Portrait of a Senior Territorian Award recognises and celebrates the achievements and contributions by senior Territorians to our community.

It also encourages excellence and creativity in the art of portraiture by Northern Territory (NT) artists.

The award is held annually, with 2024 marking the 25th anniversary.

Exhibition

The award and exhibition is held at Parliament House in Darwin.

The exhibition opens on Monday 27 November 2023 and closes on Sunday 10 December 2023.

Winners announcement

The first, second and third prize winners were announced at the exhibition opening.

The People’s Choice winner was announced following public voting after the closing of the exhibition.

1st prize - $7,000

Artist name: Catherine Miles and Leslie Nawirridj

Title: Proud Aboriginal Man

Sitter name: Leslie Nawirridj

Judges’ comments: The winning artwork captivated the judges for its profound technicality, originality, and effectiveness in capturing the identity of the subject. The collaborative effort between two artists held a unique interest for the judges due to its distinctive approach. Particularly noteworthy was the involvement of one of the artists as the subject, incorporating his traditional fine-line cross-hatching technique (rarrk), which not only celebrated the artists style, but enriched the artworks authenticity and depth. The piece demonstrated an exceptional command of technique, symbolism, and emotion.

2nd prize - $2,000

Artist name: Catherine Connor

Title: What Are They On About

Sitter name: Albert Lilypiyana

3rd prize - $500

Artist name: Montana Kitching

Title: Therese Wokai Bourke

Sitter name: Therese Wokai Bourke

Highly commended

Artist name: Thomas Higgs

Title: Helen

Sitter name: Helen Haritos

People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice Prize of $1,000 was determined by public votes submitted across the exhibition period.

Artist name: Katalin Horompo

Title: Storytime: Catching The Big One

Sitter name: Peter Whelan

Previous award winners

View the previous award winners.

Contact

For more information, email poast.coordinator@nt.gov.au or call 08 8981 6616.