A portrait of a former Sudanese child soldier and lawyer, painted by Greek Australian Nick Stathopoulos has been selected as the People's Choice of the 2016 Archibald Prize.
Nick was awarded the public-voted people’s choice award for the hyperreal piece, which took him four months to complete – more time than he has ever taken on a single painting.
The portrait, titled Deng, is Stathopoulos’ first public choice winner and his fifth entry to be selected as an Archibald finalist. A “clear winner” among the pool, it comes with a $3,500 cash prize.
The prize, which is the favourite work as voted for by visitors to the exhibition, was announced today at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney.
Stathopoulos was inspired to paint the artwork after seeing Deng Adut in an advertisement for Western Sydney University, which Adut graduated from and documented how Mr Adut came to Australia following life as a child soldier in Sudan and how he put himself through law school, becoming a formidable refugee advocate and community leader.
Michael Brand, the director of the Art Gallery of NSW said the painting was "a remarkable portrait that captures a remarkable person.”
*Image by AAP- Mick Tsikas
