What powered that piece was the love Young Archies 2021

Charliese Allen, winner of the Young Archie award, 16-18yo.Credit:Joe Armao

Charliese Allen’s Young Archie-winning portrait of her mother holds a particularly special place in her heart.

The Sunshine West-based student painted her mother after her recovery from bowel cancer, her scar visible and her expression one of determination and defiance. It’s a powerful work and the winner of 16-18 year category of the national portrait prize for children and teens held alongside the Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Charliese Allen’s painting of her mother, ‘Momasito’, winner of the Young Archie Award 16-18 years.Credit:Christopher Snee/AGNSW

Allen was 16 when she made the painting, based on a 10-minute live sitting (“Mum is super busy!” she says), sketches, notes and some photographs.

Inspired by the Archibald Prize, the Young Archies invite children and teenagers to submit a portrait of someone who is special to them and plays a significant role in their life.

Judges artist Ramesh Nithiyendran and Art Gallery of New South Wales’s family program manager Victoria Collings selected 40 works as finalists - 10 in each age group - and 20 others were given honourable mentions, chosen from more than 2100 entries. The works are high quality and the approaches diverse.

Allen says she created the work as a sort of farewell to that very stressful, difficult time. “It’s okay I can leave that time and grow from it, I can leave that behind and not worry.”

She knew she had to include the scar. “With art a lot of times people use nudity as a vulnerable aspect, people especially women are very conscious of their bodies. My mum was a little bit sensitive about the scar. You know what mum, I love you... it’s like a map, you are paving the way for me to be strong.”

When the news came through that she had won her category, Allen was shocked and delighted; her mother burst into tears. Even today, the now 17-year-old says looking at the portrait affects her. “I poured my heart and soul into that piece... I think what powered that piece was the love.”

The Young Archies winner Jacqueline Qin with her sister Jessica who was the subject for her winning portrait.Credit:Steven Siewert

Jacqueline Qin’s work My Sister , a painting of her younger sister Jessica, won the Young Archie for the 13-15 year old category.

The piece was created at school over four lessons. “I wanted to draw my sister because she is a bit insecure about how she looks . . . I used pretty colours. Also you know how siblings always banter, the artwork is like a gift for her because even though we fight a lot, I want to tell her that I do actually care.”

Painted on a heavy cardboard, layered with newspaper for texture, the colours used were inspired by a sunset, her sister’s favourite time of day. The newspaper was chosen deliberately, reflecting something of her sister’s frustration with words and not being able to express herself properly.

Jacquelin Qin won the Young Archie’s 13-15 year old category for her work ‘My Sister’. Acrylic and newspaper collage on paper. Credit:Christopher Snee/AGNSW

Pymble-based Qin loves to draw and experiments with a lot of media. She is interested in digital art and wants to study animation, using different types of media, maybe painting or charcoal.

So what did her sister think about the portrait? “She’s brutally honest, and just said ‘it’s okay’.”

Other winners included seven-year-old Thevan Basnayake of Winston Hills for a self-portrait in the 5-8 year category and Maroubra-based Luanda Lucia Perlstone Monroy for a portrait of her brother in the 9-12 category.

In good news for anyone in lockdown, the gallery has created a 360 degree tour of the show, which can be watched from home. You can also vote for your favourite’s in the People’s Choice award.

While the Archibald Prize celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, this is the ninth year the Young Archie awards have been held.

Young Archie works by finalists and honourable mentions are at the Art Gallery of NSW from June 5- September 26.

Kerrie O'Brien is a senior culture writer at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

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