Congratulations to Meg Walters who has been named a finalist in the Port Geach Memorial Award.
The Port Geach Memorial Award is Australia's most prestigious art prize for portraiture by women artists.
The Award was established by the will of the late Florence Kate Geach in memory of her sister, Portia Geach. The non-acquisitive award of $30,000 is awarded by the Trustee for the entry which is of the highest artistic merit, ‘…for the best portrait painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, or the Sciences by any female resident who was born in Australia or was British born or has become a naturalised Australian and whose place of domicile is Australia.’
"Portrait of Isabella Manfredi from the band The Preatures. 'Backstage' is about the psychological duality of motherhood. It explores how we can never fully be present due to the incessant demands of modern life. We’re told we need to work like we don’t have kids and mother like we don’t work. Societal conditioning and standards dictate what a self-sacrificing and ‘good’ mother is, but this painting aims to questions that.
I met up with Izzi and her daughter in Glebe only a few days before she was due to start her two-month long National tour. Seeing her juggling her incredibly high-stress and demanding job alongside the challenges of raising a toddler was admirable and relatable. We’re pushing back against the guilt and endless responsibilities. We’re carving out a path that is not clear-cut but it is meaningful. Managing the load, the stress and the joy that comes with raising young children and having a creative career is worthwhile and fulfilling but also exhausting. Can we ‘have it all’ in this day and age and at what cost?"
Meg Walters, Backstage, Oil, Oil Stick, Oil Pastel, Wax on Linen, 152 x 132cm
August 26, 2025
