Vibrant, culturally-rich and thought-provoking, the Omnia Art Prize is a premier annual prize and exhibition celebrating Australian contemporary artists. This prestigious $15,000 prize champions contemporary artists nationally at every stage of their careers, bringing together communities and artists across a full weekend of exhibition and events. Proceeds from the event go to the St Kevin’s College Foundation to support the education of students in need or students experiencing hardship.
This curated collection featuring 180 artists and more than 250 artworks – across mediums from oils, acrylic, photography to mixed media and small sculptures – is a kaleidoscope of colour, texture, and narratives that reflects the essence of Australian contemporary art. Each original piece exhibited for sale is a vibrant testament to the rich tapestry of cultures, experiences, and perspectives that define contemporary Australia.
It is a terrific opportunity for the local Stonnington community to experience some of the best Australian contemporary art, add to or start their art collections, and provide crucial support for Australian artists.
Highlights from the 2024 artists submissions include:
- Gladys Kemarr Lewis, an emerging Indigenous artist from Wutunugurra in the foothills of Iytwelepenty (Davenport Ranges) whose works are a celebration of the simple beauty of the area, its wild flowers and their potent medicinal forces,
- Renowned photographic artist Kate Ballis‘ ‘Infrabotanica’ series where flowers are grown, selected, and transformed into ethereal works of art in her pitch-black home studio using ultraviolet light,
- Josh Dykgraaf‘s stunning depiction of the Tasmanian Masked Owl crafted from a unique blend of flowers, mosses, bark, and leaves captured during a bushwalk in Tasmania, shedding light on the conservation challenges faced by this endangered bird,
- Hailing from Poland and now based in Australia, Cezary Stulgis is a multifaceted artist known for his fusion of cutting-edge aesthetics and classical craftsmanship, drawing inspiration from his roots in the mid-eighties street art movement.
- Nationally recognised artist hailing from the wheatbelt and Pilbara regions of Western Australia,Lori Pensini creates stunning works in response to her relationship to nature, culture and conservation, on her sustainable regenerative agricultural farm in Boyup Brook.
The 2024 Omnia Art Prize winner will be announced at the Opening Gala on the evening of Friday 24 May, and the exhibition is open from Sat 25 to Sun 26 May 10am–4pm at Smith Hall, St Kevins College, Toorak. This year’s prize will be judged by accomplished museum director, curator, writer and lecturer, Dr Rebecca Coates, Director of Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA).
Artist credit: Cezary Stulgis / Elena Kolotusha / Kate Ballis / Louise Rippert
