The Royal Queensland Art Society would like to congratulate all the winners in the RQAS 135th Members Annual, Painting and Sculpture exhibition for 2025.
Thank you also to our judges Sue Smith and Cam Crossley. Please scroll down to view the winning artworks and judges’ comments.
Section 1 – Oil and Acrylic Painting
First Prize
Queensland Castles
by Glen Gillard
From humble old weatherboard cottages to modern high rise structures, are in this work elevated to “iconic” status with the use of a gold background. The composition is creative and thoughtful with its use of a grid structure to convey multiple viewpoints and to contrast the old (including two elderly citizens as well as cottages) with the bold new city skylines. Skilful and fluent draftsmanship and brushwork, and a visually appealing command of colour, texture, light and shade also contribute to making this a compelling, “stand out” work.
Second Prize
Goat Man
by Charlie McGann
An inventive and quirky “double portrait” of a man and beast. This work has both visual and intellectual appeal, sparking the viewer’s curiosity about the artist’s choice of subjects. The handling of thick paint in quite a small work and the vigorous brushwork have verve and result in a sensuous artwork.
Highly Commended
Sunshine Follows
by Beverley Tainton
A lyrical and atmospheric abstract, suggesting a sense of a rainy landscape. Soft colours, gauzy paint passages and dribbled paint are satisfyingly contrasted with strong and gestural sweeping brushstrokes to create a dynamic composition.
Highly Commended
The Glass House Mountains
by Michael Augustine
A visually striking shoreline scene, economically using diagonal lines and shapes to draw the eye in a zig zag fashion across the canvas from the right hand bottom corner to the mountains on the horizon and across the sky. Thin paint layers are skilfully used to convey the distant mountains, build up of clouds and reflections on wet sand.
Section 4 – 3D and Sculpture
First Prize
Enigma
by Zygmunt Libucha
This is an excellent work from a skilled, experienced sculptor. The contemporary figurative work invites closer inspection – from the subtle stylised facial features, to the hair and curving spine. The expression on the woman’s face is delicate and coy, accentuated by the upward thrust of the left shoulder. The gesture is fully rounded and delightful to view from every angle. The fine veined marble has been beautifully sculpted and finished. Thoughtfully, the sculptor has pin mounted the piece to allow it to be gently rotated on its base. This is a fine work in all aspects.
Second Prize
All Things Must Pass
by Anne-Louise Ciel
Of the sculptural works on show, this one demands the closest and most detailed examination, circumnavigation even. We sense a story, a personal mythology carved into the aerated concrete block – forearms and hands grasp at tendons of some material bound in chains links. Small leaves sprout suggesting life or renewal. There is a human struggle going on, somehow difficult yet affirming. Hebel is a great starting point for the sculptor exploring the subtractive processes of material. Congratulations on this piece. What’s next?
Young Artist Award – Painting and Sculpture
Small Golden Bunya Cone
by Nathaniel Alan Kemp
This slip cast porcelain ceramic piece is gold lustre glazed. Sculpture is usually the product of many processes as evident in this work. Plaster moulding, slip casting, bisque firing and a further lustre firing have created a delightfully interesting form. The partial application of lustre to the form combines complex internal luminosity with surface reflectivity that dances as the viewer moves around the piece. Good work!
