An allusive artwork representing the endless portal of the universe has won the 2022 Lake Art Prize.
The winning Lake Macquarie artist, Braddon Snape, said the artwork, which was cleverly crafted by inflating metal, had been a decade in the making.
"I have been developing inflated works for nearly ten years now and really got to perfect my craft during the lockdowns where I added the aspect of light into the artwork," Mr Braddon said.
"The artwork is three parts of stainless steel, which is inflated by cold air with a lot of pressure to make it blow out and buckle. "
There's a special personal satisfaction [in winning] because I'm a Lake Macquarie-born person, so it kind of feels like people have finally recognised who I am in the place where I came from."
The theme of the competition, the vessel: contained within and moving between, invited artists to explore literal and lateral translations of a vessel.
Judge Brett Adlington said Snape's Allusive Object stood out among a high calibre of artworks.
"It was a very commanding piece," Mr Adlington said.
"It has a great play on light as the object is a dark space so it uses light to encompass an area that is bigger than itself and, for us, this really spoke about that theme of a vessel in a really unique way."
Snape's work went on exhibition on Friday evening at the Museum of Art and Culture (MAC), yapang, alongside 65 other finalists in the $25,000 Lake Art Prize, one of the richest acquisitive art prizes in regional NSW.
390 artworks were entered in the competition.
MAC, yapang Curator and Operations Coordinator Courtney Wagner said she was blown away by the variety and calibre of artists.
"We received entries from right across Australia, from both established and emerging artists," she said.
"I want to congratulate not just Braddon Snape but every artist who entered their work, and particularly those shortlisted as finalists.
"As well as purchasing Snape's work, we've also purchased highly commended artist Vipoo Srivilasa's ceramic sculpture of a figure SERPENT I."
Three other artists were highly commended for their work including Liss Finney for her sculptural installation Adventures to far off places, Michael Brown for his painting Ocean eyes and Laura Nolan for her sculpture Resting stillness.
Artworks will remain on exhibition until Sunday 11 December 2022.
