Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following text contains the name of a deceased person. 

THE ARTIST behind the striking mural on the Marcoola amenities block has now taken out the People’s Choice Award at the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize for her work ‘Movement and flow’.

A proud Kabi Kabi, Cobble Cobble and Butchulla artist, Zartisha’s work is strongly connected to culture, family and Saltwater stories – themes which feature throughout her mural at Marcoola also.

Running since 2006, the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize is the region’s premier art award and forms part of Sunshine Coast Council’s acquisition program with winning works added to the Sunshine Coast Art Collection.

Each year, 40 finalists are selected from the vast range of national entries and are exhibited at Caloundra Regional Gallery, with award winners notified at a special celebration, which was held on Thursday, September 24.

Chosen by visitors to the exhibition as the work which resonated with them the most, the People’s Choice Award win sees Zartisha take home $2,500 for her work and celebrated acclaim for her creativity.

In Movement and Flow, Zartisha explores the ongoing relationship between land and sea, using repeated forms inspired by shell middens.

The middens represent generations of people gathering, sharing food and caring for Country, giving the work a strong connection to place and the stories held within it.

Major Prize win for two interconnected artists  
This year’s winners were selected by guest judge Rhana Devenport ONZM, who said the sheer diversity of artistic expression in Australia today is vividly expressed in this year’s Prize.

“First Nations voices are ever present in video and painting in an exploration of culture and Country, while the concerns of our time – ranging from the resilience and beauty of nature to the legacy of bushfires, and from the intimacy of familial and community relationships to social protest – offer compelling insights,” Ms Devenport said.

The $25,000 Major Prize went to a collaborative work which somewhat began in1984 when two artists began journeys that would eventually bring their creative worlds together.

Kumanjayi (Walala) Tjapaltjarri (c. 1962–2026) and his family, known as the Pintupi Nine, arrived at the remote Western Australian community of Kiwirrkurra after living a traditional nomadic life in the Western Desert.

That same year, Michael Eather travelled across Australia from Hobart, passing through Alice Springs before reaching Maningrida, where he started his own family.

Both went on to build independent artistic practices – their paths later crossing, and they would go on to forge a creative connection that would span more than 25 years.

Their winning collaborative artwork, ‘We are still creating ourselves II’, was awarded after the recent passing of Tjapaltjarri –  a highly significant Pintupi artist whose distinctive work is held in collections across Australia and internationally.

Through layered pattern, line and colour, ’We are still creating ourselves II’ brings two distinct artistic languages into conversation.

Tjapaltjarri’s bold, graphic interpretations of the Tingari Cycle meet Eather’s symbolic narratives of maps, stingrays and portals, creating an interconnected landscape that explores imagination, place and belonging across cultures and geography.

Judge Rhana Devenport emphasised the importance of art.

“Collectively, the four winning works – the expansive collaborative painting by Kumanjayi (Walala) Tjapaltjarri and Michael Eather, the beautiful painting by Zartisha Davis… along with the other exhibited works – demonstrate the imaginative power that art gifts to today’s world.”

Made possible via sponsors, philanthropists and Council, Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the winning work celebrated artistic excellence.

“This remarkable artwork holds more than 25 years of shared creativity, trust and artistic exploration,” Mayor Natoli said.

“Our Council is proud that this important work will enter the Sunshine Coast Art Collection, where its story can continue to connect with our community and inspire future generations.”

View the Art Prize exhibition  
The free exhibition continues for two more weeks, until Sunday, October 11.
Caloundra Regional Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and weekends from 10 am to 2 pm and is located at 22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra.