National Photographic Portrait Prize Art Handlers' Award winner revealed

Melbourne artist Kristina Kraskov has taken out the 2021 NPPP Art Handlers’ Award with her image, I'm just a suburban fashionista, winning the $2,000 prize, courtesy of IAS Fine Art Logistics.

Kraskov is a documentary filmmaker with an interest in capturing people in their own spaces, “surrounded by small parts of themselves”. She said that “Michelle’s house was the most drastic example of this I’d ever witnessed – I couldn’t help but capture her in her element. Like the experience of meeting Michelle, the portrait is eclectic; she can get lost amongst the curated chaos, yet has an undeniable presence.”

In making their decision, National Portrait Gallery Art Handlers Jessica Kemister and James Ley said: “Michelle is literally immersed in the objects that define her, or tell a story about different parts of life, and we are both similar bower-birds who like to bring small artworks, trinkets and curiosities into our workplace. We found ourselves revisiting this work, and each time, discovering something new amongst Michelle’s many ornaments and oddities. This is an image that stayed with us for a long time and one we both love.”

Sydney photographer Joel B. Pratley has been named the winner of the 2021 National Photographic Portrait Prize (NPPP) for his photo of a lone farmer immersed in a dust storm in drought-stricken Australia. His image, Drought story, is a portrait of David Kalisch captured in the midst of an unexpected dust storm on his 1,000-acre farm in Forbes, NSW. 

NPPP judges selected 79 finalist works, more than double the usual amount, as a way of acknowledging the impact the pandemic has had on the creative community. “We have increased the exhibition space in order to extend this opportunity to more artists, and we have also extended the duration of the exhibition until November, so more people can see it,” Quinlan said.

Follow this link to read about the other 2021 winners.

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