Blind singer's portrait wins Archibald Prize

6 Mar 2009, 12:20 pm   -   Source: SBS staff and agencies
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Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu was painted by Guy Maestri

Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu was painted by Guy Maestri

Artist Guy Maestri won the prestigious Archibald Prize with his portrait of blind Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu.

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Artist Guy Maestri has taken out the prestigious Archibald Prize with his portrait of blind Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu.

New South Wales native Maestri, 35, painted Gurrumul after meeting him for just 40 minutes at Sydney Airport one Sunday morning.

The artist used those precious few moments before he flew out to New York for a series of concerts to study the singer's distinctive face.

"I got a sense of his presence and this determined the nature of the portrait: quiet and strong.

Maestri said the portrait marked a departure from his normal style.

'Emotional experience'

"I usually work in a very liberal, gestural way but this time I built up the image quietly and slowly with many glazes in an attempt to capture the beautiful quality of his skin.

"I worked on it for over a month, mostly while listening to his music. I made sure to read the lyrics and understand the meaning of each song.

"The whole process became quite an emotional experience."

Already a fan of Gurrumul's music after seeing him in concert on New Year's Eve, Maestri is full of admiration for his subject, who he describes as an "inspiring, amazing man".

Gurrumul, who was born blind, lives a traditional lifestyle on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land and sings in his native Yolngu language.

Haunting voice

But his haunting voice has ensured that his fame has spread far beyond his Queensland home.

He won two coveted ARIA Awards, and was named NT Australian of the Year for 2008.

The Archibald Prize is Australia's most important award for portraiture. 

Winners take home a cheque for $AU50,000, and are assured pride of place in the annual Archibald Prize exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Established in 1921, in memory of former Bulletin editor JF Archibald, the contest attracts entries from artists across Australia.

See some of this year's contenders for the Archibald Prize in our gallery
 

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