West Australian artist Lori Pensini has clinched Newcastle's richest art prize, the Kilgour, with an artwork that reflects on race relations and her own family tree.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Newcastle Art Gallery director Lauretta Morton announced Ms Pensini as the winner on a Friday call with the artist.
The West Australian artist had been a Kilgour finalist for five years running. She won the people's choice prize in 2018.
Her winning work, Family 2021, depicts family portraits painted on heirloom fine bone china plates, which Lori said were a "tribute to the inter-racial relationships of my colonial fore-bearers and the First Peoples of the southwest of Western Australia".
"These portraits are a continuum for myself and my art practice exploring the Indigenous lineage to my ancestry," Pensini said.
"Each plate is unique to itself, honouring individual endeavours and fortitude. Collectively they embody the sense of 'family', of intimate bonds forged and the endurance of fervent relationships that defied racial vilification of the times."
Judges in the 2021 prize included Ms Morton, Campbelltown Arts Centre head of curatorial Adam Porter and the head teacher of fine art at Newcastle Art School, David Trout.
"There is a tension presented through this work - the portraits are haunting, but also mesmerising," Ms Morton said. "It is not a divisive narrative, but one that embraces the individual stories behind this family portrait."
Originally due to open on August 13, the Kilgour Prize exhibition can be viewed online at Newcastle Art Gallery's website.
The $50,000 prize is administered by the council-run gallery. It has been funded through a bequest from artist Jack Noel Kilgour since 1987.
It received a record 476 works in 2021.
Finalists included Lisa Adams, Gillian Adamson, Matteo Bernasconi, Jackson Booth, Catherine Boreham, Julie-Ann Brown, Simon Brown, Daniel Butterworth, Emily Jayne Carroll, John Dahlsen, Archer Davies, Rachelle Dusting, John Earle, David Fairbairn, Nick Fintan, Christine Fontana, Miriam Fraser, Michael Lindeman, Nunzio Miano, Robert O'Connor, Nathan Paddison, Lori Pensini, Alice Pulvers, James R Randall, Zeljka Reljan-Music, Grace Kemarre Robinya, Paul Ryan, Jason Tolmie, Mick Turner and Mark Tweedie.
Art fans are now invited to offer their verdict in the People's Choice Award. Voting is open until 5pm on October 6, with the $5000 prize due to be announced on October 11.
Cr Nelmes congratulated Pensini on her win, noting that the region's lockdown was even more reason to award the prize promptly.
"While we are disappointed not to be able to share this news with Lori in person, we felt it was more important to pass on our congratulations without any further delay," Cr Nelmes said. "The arts community has been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19, making this award and its $50,000 prize even more valuable at this time."
