Winners in the Southern Queensland Landscapes and University of Southern Queensland’s 2023 First Nations Art Competition have been announced to a crowd of more than 150 people in Toowoomba. 

Overall Grand Prize and Digital Medium Category winner has gone to Robert Claude Manns for his piece ‘Mandan’. 

"I wanted to express the fractured relationship that I have with some of the Mandandanji People. Unfortunately many of us feel connected to our Nation, but not always the people," Robert Manns said.

"My piece was assisted through artificial intelligence (AI) art and I found that to be a really powerful tool in discovering how I wanted this art to go," Mr Manns said.

"I've always been artistic, and I wanted to explore Indigenous art, but I wasn't great at it and I found the style difficult to personalise. AI and digital art has allowed me to connect with Indigenous art in my own way and explore things the way I wanted," he said.

"I'm really glad it worked out and people liked the art!"

"In truth, I thought I might only get an encouragement award, but to first see I won the digital art and then the Overall Grand Prize was just spectacular. There were tears in my eyes. I wasn't expecting to get so far!" Robert Manns said.

"I want to thank everyone who made Indigenous art through the millenia; otherwise I wouldn't have done it," Mr Manns said.

"Shortly before he passed away, my dad put me onto the competition and I thought I'd give it a go. I wish he was here to see it, as he was my inspiration for making this art." he said.

"He was my inspiration and my supporter through it all."

'Mandan' by Robert Claude-Manns

Category awards also went to Tamay Beam for ‘Never Giving Up’, and Ella-Louise Knox for ‘River Links’, and Valerie Murray for ‘Connectiveness Through Every Stitch’; meanwhile Highly Commended was Andrew Nelson for ‘Part 2: Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up on Country Kooma’, Chris Valle for ‘Beginning of Creation’, Sienna Wilson for ‘Circle of Life’, Adrian Bauwens for ‘Bonye Jairowar Connections’, and Jo Chapman for ‘Pink Women’. 

SQ Landscapes Acting CEO, Leanne Stevens said it’s been an amazing night celebrating the incredible talent of First Nations artists from across 15 of the 28 Nations right throughout Southern Queensland.

"Of the 28 Nations in our patch, it was great to see 15 Nations represented in the entries for the competitions," Leanne Stevens said.

"In particular the two Mardigan and one Gamilaroi junior entries which were amazing to see as well. It's inspiring to see more young people taking part in the competition this year," Ms Stevens said.

"It's really exciting to see the competition to expand to the 3D mediums and the digital mediums as well and sets the stage for future expansion with next year's competition,' she said.

"The competition has grown and grown over the year and it's great to see some of the organisation improving alongside the University of Southern Queensland coming on board as a partner to help make this even bigger and better than last year."

"The competition has grown and grown over the year and it's great to see some of the organisation improving alongside the University of Southern Queensland coming on board as a partner to help make this even bigger and better than last year," Leanne Stevens said.

Meanwhile, University of Southern Queensland Curator (Arts and Exhibitions), Brodie Taylor said it was an honour to host the collection and celebrated the university's partnership with SQ Landscapes. 

“It was a special project for us to be involved in this year, not only to host the gallery, but also to partner directly with SQ Landscapes to make a second year of the competition a reality,” Brodie Taylor said.

“The university generously assisted in the sponsorship of the award night and we were delighted to take part again this year,” Mr Taylor said.

“I think the artists can be proud of what they have achieved tonight. They represented their region and community with pride and what is on display here sets a high standard for Southern Queensland,” he said.

“I think the artists can be proud of what they have achieved tonight. They represented their region and community with pride and what is on display here sets a high standard for Southern Queensland,” Brodie Taylor said.

Competition judges Uncle Colin Jones and Sue McMaster remarked that the quality of artists’ work had only improved in the competition’s second year of running.

“Quality is very important. The entrants demonstrated they upped their game this year and we can see better quality control on the works present,” Uncle Colin Jones said.

“Our art is a story. It’s a language and it differs from what a Western concept of language is, so it’s far more profound and makes art like this so special to see,” Mr Jones said.

“I was really impressed with the calibre of artwork we saw tonight. There’s a real improvement in technique, materials used, and you can start to see their individual tone really shine through the art,” Sue McMaster said.

“It was very difficult to narrow it down to a handful of artworks to award!” Mrs McMaster said.

Artwork from finalists in the 2022/23 First National Art Competition will be on display at the University of Southern Queensland Art Gallery from 8 July to 1 September 2023.

Some of the art on display is for sale and all enquiries regarding purchases should be emailed to art@sqlandscapes.org.au

SQ Landscapes is an independent non-government-organisation (NGO) owned by its community, and is dedicated to helping landholders understand their landscapes, adapt to challenges and be excellent stewards of their country. 

SQ Landscapes acknowledge, respect and learn from the First Peoples of the 28 Nations in the Southern Queensland Landscapes area and further afield. We pay respect to the Elders: past, present and future for they hold the memories, traditions, culture, science and knowledge and hope of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples across our nation.

Learn more: https://www.sqlandscapes.org.au/2023-first-nations-art-competition