Dr Raquel Ormella (Painting Lecturer, ANU School of Art & Design) and Marie Hagerty (alumna and past lecturer, ANU School of Art & Design) are finalists in the Guirguis New Art Prize 2019 (GNAP 2019).

This prestigious national, biennial, acquisitive $20,000 art prize showcases a selection of the best cutting-edge contemporary artists in the country.

In its fourth iteration, GNAP19 promises to inspire and surprise audiences with a bold mix and unique snapshot of Australian art created by artists selected from the Northern Territory, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Reflecting a myriad of historical and contemporary influences, GNAP19 artists explore ideas ranging from Australian cultural and social history, self-portraiture, identity and transformation, to a humorous perspective on skullduggery and office culture, to theories surrounding the fourth dimension, expressed through video, painting, textiles, ceramics, sculpture and installation.

The Guirguis New Art Prize is administered by Federation University Australia and presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ballarat. It is generously sponsored by local surgeon Mark Guirguis. The $20,000 winning artist for 2019 will be announced at the formal exhibition opening at the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Friday 5 April. GNAP 2019 is presented jointly at FedUni’s Post Office Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

For more information and a full list of finalists, please see the Art Gallery of Ballarat website.