Last night the City of Subiaco announced the winners of the prestigious 2024 Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists.
Michael Evans from Eaton Community College won first place in the Upper Secondary category with his piece Overlooked Railroad, which the judges described as “intriguing” and “a shard of brilliance”.
Maisie Kidd from Applecross Senior High School won the Lower Secondary category with her artwork Eureka, a delicate charcoal self-portrait with hidden depths.
The winners from the Primary aged categories were Shiwen Shao from Perth Art School for Ray is an Australian Silky Terrier Puppy, Dylan Corke from Churchlands Primary School for Symbiotic Portal Wars and Hazel Tam from Brentwood Primary School for Wondrous.
The competition’s patron for the last 22 years, Oscar-winning author, illustrator and filmmaker Shaun Tan, pre-recorded a special video message for the event where he shared his early career experiences and encouraged young artists to remember that “every drawing and painting is an experiment”.
He also noted the high calibre of entrants this year, saying, “[they’re] brilliant examples from a wide suburban laboratory. We see the precision of some fine portraits, any of which could hang in a state gallery’.
Perhaps his most urgent advice to the young artists was to persist in their passions.
“Try to finish everything you start,” he said.
“It can be hard to do but you will never regret it … above all else, keep looking, keep experimenting and try to find your own truth in things.’
Mayor David McMullen, who spoke at the awards presentation, highlighted the City’s longstanding commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists.
“The City of Subiaco has hosted these awards for twenty-two years now and it’s truly inspirational to see the talent of students from across WA featured in our exhibition and celebrated at these awards tonight,” he said.
“There is one final award up for grabs, the People’s Choice Award, which you can vote for online or by visiting the exhibition in person at Subiaco Library.”
The winning artworks were selected by a panel of judges made up of artists and illustrators. The awards are supported by sponsors Kool Kreative, Jacksons Drawing Supplies, Dymocks Subiaco, Mirage Digital and Janet Holmes à Court AC.