Tasmanian artist wins People’s Choice Award for second consecutive year

A STUNNING sunlit portrait of one of Tasmania’s remote landscapes has captured the public’s imagination, with Tasmanian artist Harrison Bowe taking out the Mercury People’s Choice Award for the second year running.
The $2,500 prize for the People’s Choice Award is presented by the Mercury newspaper.
The winning work, A Humbling Insignificance, depicts rocks in a remote part of Tasmania bathed in warm, golden light.
The painting has proved a standout with exhibition visitors, who have responded to the way its radiant light seems to fill the room.
An avid bushwalker, Bowe draws directly on his experiences exploring some of Tasmania’s most rugged and remote landscapes.
His paintings translate those encounters into richly textured works, with thickly applied paint conjuring rocks and grasses.
The winning artwork is the sister piece to another painting by Bowe that took out another art prize, The Tattersall’s Landscape Art Prize, earlier this year, continuing a remarkable run of recognition for the artist’s distinctive approach to the Tasmanian landscape.
Curator Dr Amy Jackett said the strength of the public response to the work had been clear throughout the exhibition.
“Many people spoke about how much they enjoyed seeing this painting. Visitors were drawn to that beautiful golden light and the feeling it creates,” she said.
The Mercury People’s Choice Award reflects the enthusiasm of exhibition visitors and celebrates the powerful connection between artists, landscape and the wider public.
The exhibition continues this weekend, giving visitors the opportunity to experience a remarkable range of landscape artwork from across the country, including Bowe’s award-winning work.
Artworks are for sale and entry to the exhibition is free open 10am to 4pm daily.
For more information visit hadleysartprize.com.au