• Academy Galleries
• 1 Queens Wharf
• Wellington, New Zealand

At the gala opening of Fantastic Beasts – fins, fangs, feathers and fur on the 30th November, Anne Stewart’s Niki – A Portrait photograph on fine art paper received the President’s Prize.

This haunting image had been the unanimous choice of the prize committee. Of it, artist Anne Stewart wrote, “This is a portrait - one of a series of portraits of kiwi that were released on our property as part of a restoration programme. As the 38 birds were released, I began recording them in photographs. The photographs revealed the highly individualistic characteristics of each bird. I decided to develop a series of portraits to document these differences and reveal the complexity of a species. It is common for people to think of wild animals as groups of identical individuals. I wanted to reveal the differences through a series of portraits. I have entered two in this competition so the individuality can be observed.”

This exhibition was an opportunity for artists to celebrate the creatures (‘great and small’) who enrich our lives or fascinate or intrigue us. Artists were invited to submit works in this theme, recognising that the animals whose planet we share have inspired spectacular works of art for almost 50,000 years. They remain a popular motif across a range of styles and in every media.

Iwen Yong’s High Country Friends won the Curator’s Prize, also worth $750. Of the work the artist said, “[The] NZ high country terrain is wild, rugged and challenging. There is no better companion than man’s best friend. It would be almost impossible to do the work without them. Anyone who has owned a dog will know the special bond that is created, and I try to convey this in an expressive way in my painting.”