STILL: National Still Life Award 2023

STILL 2023 Winner Announcement

$30,000 Acquisitive Award Winner

Alana Hunt
…and fled swiftly (i and ii), 2022
35mm film / archival digital print
800 x 530mm (each)

“This award means one more year of the economic puzzle of how to be an artist is solved.  It will allow me to keep working. To keep thinking.  And to keep making.  And for that my sincere gratitude.” said Alana.

$1,000 Highly Commended Award Winners

Grace Dlabik
Hasu, 2023
Intuitively formed stoneware clay, Toru Uta fired with banana skins and palm leaves alongside documented process video.
300 x 290 x 290mm

Miranda Hine
Crime scene still life (Midsomer Murders s14e5), 2023
Oil on Board (diptych)
325 x 480mm

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Visitors to the exhibition can vote for their favourite work as part of the $3000 People’s Choice award which will be announced on 28 November.

The biennial acquisitive award, now in its fourth iteration, attracted 1143 entries from across Australia, the largest field in the award’s history.

The Award is open to all artists across Australia. STILL 2023 invited fresh and contemporary explorations of still life themes to highlight the diversity and vitality of still life in Australian contemporary art, broadening the interpretation of this enduring genre.

Still: National Still Life Award 2023 has a prize pool of $35,000

The $35,000 includes the following:

$30,000 Acquisitive Winner’s Award

$3,000 People’s Choice Award

2 x $1,000 Highly Commended Awards

The exhibition is now open; the winner was selected and announced by Guest Judge Max Delany, Artistic Director & CEO, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. The People’s Choice Award, voted by visitors to the exhibition, will be announced towards the end of the exhibition.

STILL 2023 is the first award exhibition to be presented at the new Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) and has been curated by Guest Curator, Sandra Conte.

Sandra Conte is based in the Glasshouse Mountains, Kabi Kabi country and is embracing the beauty of the lands of the Gumbaynggirr people at Coffs Harbour, curating the fourth iteration of STILL. An independent curator and arts consultant with a wealth of intercultural experience Australia-wide, Conte has developed new galleries and worked across multiple Universities, in directorial and curatorial roles, on projects at local, state, federal, and national touring, levels. A range of positions include an early career role as Foundation Director and Curator of Caloundra Regional Art Gallery to Visual Arts Manager and Curator, Tandanya (National Aboriginal Cultural Institute), Adelaide. She has curated in excess of 350 exhibitions, judged and opened many art awards and advised on state arts and grant boards. 

“STILL 2023 presents an opportunity to showcase finalists from six of Australia’s states and territories in the sparkling, new Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM)”.

STILL 2023 Finalists

Major Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

The award is made possible with the generous support of our Major sponsors,  saso.creative and Bryant McKinnon Lawyers, along with supporting sponsors, Moving Art, Andrew Peace Wines, Arts Mid North Coast Arts Guide, and Friends of Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery.