Past Winners

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Ai Shah (b. Japan) is a painter devoted to capturing the quiet, transient presence of water. After moving to Australia in 2005, she trained under Marcel Desbiens, developing a contemplative practice grounded in close observation and sensitivity to subtle change. Her work seeks to evoke moments of stillness within movement, where time appears to slow and perception deepens. In 2010, she won the inaugural Lethbridge 10,000 Art Award with Suns Swimming with Lillies, a work that in retrospect, was the catalyst for her ongoing exploration of tranquility, presence, and the intimate experience of being immersed in nature.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Bronwyn has been painting and drawing in various forms throughout her life.

Her current work reflects a passion for capturing light, shaped by a strong foundation in illustrative techniques. Working primarily in oils on canvas, she explores chiaroscuro to bring depth and atmosphere to everyday subjects. Bronwyn is drawn to the challenge of transforming ordinary scenes into compositions marked by her distinctive and widely recognised style.

While continuing to examine the intricate detail of leaf litter and studio still lifes, she is increasingly inspired by the quiet beauty of everyday environments. Since winning the Lethbridge Small-Scale Art Award in 2012, she has exhibited regularly with Lethbridge Gallery.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Julie Cane is a Brisbane-based fine artist known for her ability to capture the exquisite details of the world around us.

Cane’s work demonstrates a refined command of realism, spanning still life and landscape subjects that reflect her keen observation and sensitivity to light and form. She has exhibited widely, including in London, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

Her work has been selected for numerous juried exhibitions and awards, including winning the Lethbridge 10,000 Small Scale Art Award in 2014 and the Still Life Prize at the EKKA in 2013 and 2015. Her paintings are held in the State Library of Queensland, the ANL corporate collection, and private collections in Australia and internationally.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Scott Breton is a Brisbane-based figurative fine artist. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Genetics at the University of Queensland in 2005, he chose to pursue a full-time career in art, continuing a classically grounded practice while working in construction and completing a carpentry apprenticeship.

In 2009, he co-founded an atelier-style art school in Brisbane, where he began teaching traditional drawing, painting, and sculpture. In 2012, he was awarded the A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship, enabling study in major museums across Europe and the United States, and reinforcing his engagement with Renaissance aesthetics.

Following his win in the Lethbridge 10,000 Small Works Prize in 2016, he commenced regular solo exhibitions with Lethbridge Gallery. That same year, he co-founded The International Arts and Culture Group (TIAC) in Florence.

Post-pandemic, his practice focuses on studio work, research into aesthetic philosophy, and teaching workshops in drawing, anatomy, and composition.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Lindy Sale spent her early years in remote western Queensland until moving to Brisbane for secondary school and university. She subsequently studied visual art and is a graduate of the Queensland College of Art. She has been an exhibiting artist for over twenty-five years. 

Lindy was the 2018 winner of the Lethbridge 10,000 Small Scale Art Award. She has been highly commended in award exhibitions including the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, the Lethbridge Landscape Prize (2021, 2022) and the Clayton Utz Art Prize (2017, 2020, 2021, 2023). She has been a finalist in the Dobell Prize for Drawing (2023) and the Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing (2020, 2022) and was selected as a finalist for the Milburn Art Prize (2021) and the Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting (2023).

Her work carries a theme which reflects her interest in the natural world around her. Recently she has considered the psychological effects of the natural environment, for example observation of clouds in the sky above or the complexity of a forest, and how this might be expressed in paint. Drawing is an extremely important element of her practice.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Janne Kearney is a self-taught realist painter who began her artistic career at 47 and quickly built a strong reputation. Influenced by figures such as Norman Rockwell and Caravaggio, her finely detailed, figurative works focus on marginalised communities and explore themes of identity, sexuality, and empowerment. Her art challenges traditional perspectives by portraying subjects with agency and confidence, often incorporating symbolism like the rainbow to express hope and resilience. Kearney’s work is both socially conscious and visually striking, earning her significant recognition and awards.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Paul Trefry was a distinguished and internationally recognised self- taught hyper realistic artist whose practice encompasses sculpture, evolving from decades in the film industry. Largely known for his thought provoking sculptures, Trefry has received many awards here and internationally, which, as seen him produce work for people such as Angelina Jolie, James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Baz Luhrmann.

Many of his pieces can be found in private collections.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK:

Jennifer’s self-portrait A Pagan’s Prayer to the Muses is a vulnerable, delicate painting. The intimate scale forces a closeness with the viewer, revealing both masterful craftsmanship and a mature reflection on one’s own artistry. The influence of Dutch still life is evident in the glistening florals, whose ephemeral beauty mirrors the fleeting nature of artistic inspiration. Eyes gazing upwards, brushes clasped between hands in prayer; the invocation to a greater power to create something meaningful is an experience all artists can relate to. This piece transcends mere self-portraiture, becoming a universal homage to the creative process.