An unusual charcoal portrait of the artist’s mother and uncle in their youth has won Surya Bajracharya the $10,000 M16 Artspace Drawing Prize, it was announced at the M16 galleries in Griffith on Thursday.

It was judged by Sophia Cai, Marie Hagerty and Yvette Dal Pozzo.

Based on a photograph Bajracharya discovered in a shoebox, what began as a straightforward representational drawing exercise apparently evolved into a “personal meditation on memory, family and the passage of time”.

At the same event it was announced that Rmsina Daniel had won the $2000 Highly Commended Award for her work, Processional Way, 2025, in which steel becomes the medium for drawing.

The First Nations Artist Award of $2000 went to Natalie Bateman for her work South Arm Tasmania, 2025 in watercolours, posca pens and acrylic on Hahnemühle paper, while Kate Stevens won a Local Artist Award for The Tunnel/Heart of Darkness, 2024, in coloured pencil on paper.

An unconventional work, Headbowls, 2024, won Robbie Karmel another Local Artist Award. Karmel has made a series of turned segmented wooden bowls designed to be worn on the head and drawn on, printed from, modified, damaged, repaired, performed and re-performed. Viewers are invited to wear and draw on them.

Further awards were announced on the evening in the Young Drawers Prize section.

Marly C was the senior winner (ages 12-18) for One dot at a time…, 2025, while Daisy W was the junior winner (11 and under) for Fantail in Flight, 2024. Graphite and coloured pencil on paper.

Senior Digital Drawing Prize (ages 12-18) went to an anonymous artist for Promise, 2025, while the Junior Digital Drawing Prize (11 and under) went to Ruby B for Whale Song, 2025.

Voting for the People’s Choice Award closes at M16 Artspace, Griffith, on December 14.

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