KAAF Art Prize Finalists' Exhibition

A poignant painting depicting a mass fish-kill in the Murray Darling River has won the $20,000 Korea-Australia Arts Foundation (KAAF) 2019 Art Prize.

The insightful winning work titled The Churning, by accomplished award-winning artist Julie Harris, was created in response to the drought and poor water flow and quality which has caused mass fish deaths in the Murray Darling River.

Two $2,000 KAAF Highly-Commended Prizes were awarded to Sydney-based figurative artist Colleen Stapleton, who's work Vivid depicts a woman in profile and Vipoo Srivilasa, who meticulously-crafted bronze figurines titled The Course of True Love.

The KAAF Art Prize, supported by the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) Australia, is open to Australian citizens or permanent residents over 18 years who can submit any 2D artwork with open themes and medium. This year 56 finalists were selected from over 500 entries by KAAF judges - renowned Sydney Morning Herald Art Critic John McDonald, Sydney College of the Arts Senior Lecturer Oliver Smith and Yongsun Suh, a former Professor of Seoul National University in South Korea.

The 2019 KAAF Art Prize winners are:
• Winner ($20,000 cash prize, acquisitive) - Julie Harris, The Churning
• Highly Commended ($2,000 cash prize each, non-acquisitive) - Colleen Stapleton, Vivid; & Vipoo Srivilasa, The Course of True Love
• Judges' Commendations - Phoebe Kim, Do You Eat Kimchi Everyday?; Catherine O'Donnell, Union Street Window #2; and Fiona Dobrijevich, Shoal.

The Korea-Australia Arts Foundation Art Prize(KAAFP)for 2D works now on its seventh year. Since 2013 the KAAFP has been presented by the Korea-Australia Arts Foundation(KAAF) and supported by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia(KCC). It has continued to seek support for the Australian multicultural society and to encourage an active exchange between Australia and Korea in the visual arts field.