CANBERRA  artist Erica Seccombe has been named the winner of the inaugural $20,000 “Paramor Prize: Art + Innovation,” for her work “Virtual Life”.

The annual acquisitive prize was named in honour of the late Wendy Paramor, who died at the age of 37 in 1975. A large collection of her works were gifted to Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and the Liverpool City Art, Heritage and Local Studies Collection. 2015 commemorates the 40th anniversary of Paramor’s death and the prize encourages artists to aspire to bring more inspiring work to Sydney’s South West.

Since 2006 Seccombe, a well-known figure in the Canberra arts scene, has been working with researchers in the ANU Department of Applied Mathematics technology to create animated projection installations from volumetric data and is a PhD candidate in Photography and Digital Arts at the ANU School of Art.

Her winning work was made of solvent print on aluminium composite board, and reflects modern techno-scientific culture. The reflective surface not only creates a 3-dimensional effect, but shows the reflection of the observer.

Also announced was the winner of Mayoral Award, decided by Liverpool City Council Mayor Ned Mannoun. Susanna Strati from Camperdown, NSW, won the award and $5000 for her work “Wreath #2,” made from Communion breads, copper, paper, graphite, ink and silk.

Highly commended for the Paramor Prize were Gabriella Szablewska and Brent Wilson of Annerley, Qld, for their work “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” and for the Mayoral Award, Undrawing the Line from Fairfield, NSW – a four person art ensemble – for their work “In the Shade of Waq Waq Tree”.

The judging panel was made up of Luke Paramor (son of Wendy Paramor); contemporary Indigenous Australian artist Tony Albert; artist Vivienne Binns; director of the Australian Network for Art and Technology Vicki Sowry; and Mayor Mannoun.

Casula Powerhouse Director Kiersten Fishburn said she was excited about the high calibre of the art that had been nominated for the award, which is on show at the Powerhouse.

The diverse artworks on show range from videos of lost cows wandering the country side, sculptures assembled from discarded toys, to Western patterns printed in traditional Samoan methods.

“Paramor Prize: Art + Innovation,” at Casula Powerhouse, 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula NSW, Monday to Sunday 10am – 5pm until March 15, details at casulapowerhouse.com