2020 Napier Waller Art Prize
The 2020 Napier Waller Art Prize was open to current and former service personnel in the Australian Defence Force. For more information on the Napier Waller Art Prize, click here.
2020 was the third year of the prize. This online exhibition presented a shortlist of 30 works from 146 entries, selected by a panel of art professionals from the Australian War Memorial. All shortlisted artists were eligible for the People’s Choice award, featuring a cash prize of $5,000, which was awarded to Afghan diggers’ ghosts at the AWM (2020) by Gary Ramage.
An exhibition featuring the 17 works that were highly commended by the judging panel was held at the Australian War Memorial from 25 September 2020 to 16 May 2021. From this selection the judges chose Yarn (2020) by Matt Jones as the winning work.
Napier Waller Art Prize Winner 2020
Matt Jones
Yarn
2020
yarn, recycled waste fabric
183 x 183 x 18 cm
Read about Matt Jones' story here.
Winner, People’s Choice Award 2020
Gary Ramage
Afghan diggers’ ghosts at the AWM
2020
photograph
66 cm x 52 cm
Read about the artwork here.
The prize is named in honour of Mervyn Napier Waller, an Australian artist and serviceman who was wounded during the fighting at Bullecourt in the First World War and had his right arm amputated as a result. During his convalescence, Waller learned to write and draw with his left hand, saying, “An artist draws with his head, not his hands.” Waller displayed remarkable ingenuity throughout his career and went on to create the mosaics and stained glass windows in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial.
2020 Judging panel:
- Mr Matt Anderson PSM, Director of the Australian War Memorial
- General Angus Campbell AO DSC, Chief of the Australian Defence Force
- Mr Gary Dawson, Vice President Strategy of Thales Australia
- Mr Paul Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital Research Foundation
- Ms eX de Medici, former official war artist
- Mr Nick Mitzevich, Director of the National Gallery of Australia
- Professor Paddy Nixon, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University, University of Canberra
- Ms Laura Webster, Head of Art, Australian War Memorial
The Napier Waller Art Prize is sponsored by The Road Home, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Thales Australia, and supported by the University of Canberra.
