Mosman Art Prize winner

Sydney-based emerging artist Natasha Walsh, 24, has won the prestigious 2018 Mosman Art Prize for her striking self-portrait, The cicada, 2018.

Walsh was presented with the first prize of $50,000 by 2018 judge, artist and former Prize winner, Cressida Campbell, at the official launch event on the evening of Tuesday 25 September at Mosman Art Gallery.

Known for her striking but intimate small-scale self-portraits, Walsh’s winning entry depicts the artist dressed in an old gown, removing a veil from her face. Her oil on copper work now enters the celebrated Mosman Art Collection, a valuable and historic collection that surveys Australian painting since 1947.

She was recently awarded the 2018 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and the 2018 Kilgour Prize, and has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2015 Walsh was winner of the Mosman Art Prize’s Emerging Artists’ Award and was also third place in the Tertiary category of the Mosman Youth Art Prize.

Further awards presented on the night included the Margaret Olley Commendation Award ($5,000) given to Zoe Young (Bowral), the Allan Gamble Award (for built environment) valued at $3,000 won by Khaled Sabsabi (Sydney), and the Guy Warren Emerging Artists’ Award ($2,000) presented to Becky Gibson (Canberra).

The Mosman Art Prize, Australia’s oldest and most recognised local government art award, this year attracted more than 660 entries from across Australia with 105 paintings selected for the finalist exhibition which runs at the gallery until Sunday 18 November.