An indigenous artist from the Northern Territory who took up painting only a year ago has taken out what is believed to be the world's richest landscape prize.
Carbiene McDonald Tjangala was on Friday announced as the winner of the $100,000 Hadley's Art Prize in Hobart.
Mr McDonald Tjangala lives in the remote Pupunya community, about 250km northwest of Alice Springs.
His winning piece "Four Dreamings" - depicting Dreamtime stories he inherited from his father - was chosen from 33 finalists and more than 600 entrants.
"These tjukurrpa are associated with a series of waterholes running between Docker River and Kata Tjuta," Mr McDonald Tjangala said.
Remarkably, he only picked up a paintbrush 12 months ago at a local arts centre.
"Carbiene has become one of Papunya Tjupi's most exciting emerging artists," Papunya Tjupi Arts Centre manager Emma Collard said.
"It's the biggest award that a Papunya Tjupi artist has ever received, and we are thrilled to be celebrating this success with him."
Mr McDonald Tjangala, who comes from a family of artists, has already held a sold-out show in Alice Springs and had work exhibited in Germany.
The Hadley's Art Prize, held since 2017, was judged this year by a panel of three experts, including art writer, curator and gallerist Susan McCulloch OAM.
"The intensity of light in the work is mirage-like - it is blinding and mesmerising," she said of the winning piece.
"While being deeply rooted in a particular place, this painting would stand up in the company of any art."
The award was last year won by Neil Haddon for a piece depicting author HG Wells cycling through a Tasmanian landscape.
The Hadley's Art Prize was launched with the theme of "history and place" for the best portrayal of Australian landscape which acknowledges the past.
Australian Associated Press
