We are thrilled to share that Nicole Kelly has been selected as a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Art Award for her beautiful work ‘Waiting for the Sun (self-portrait)’.
'Waiting for the Sun’ reflects a tenderness in everyday experience and a means of exploring my own life. I wanted to create a simple painting that draws from an emotional experience of the process of IVF treatment. The composition comes from a drawing made many months ago, and the elements of the interior were invented and abstracted from reality. The handling of paint in the figurative elements contrasted with exposure of raw coloured ground large shapes marks our shifting reality. — Nicole Kelly, Artist Statement 2026
The Portia Geach Memorial Art Award was established by the will of the late Florence Kate Geach in memory of her sister, Portia Geach. The non-acquisitive award is awarded by the Trustee for the entry which is of the highest artistic merit.
The exhibition of finalists opens at S.H Ervin Gallery this Friday 18 September and continues until 1 Nov 2026. Don’t miss it!
