On Friday 20 June, artists, families, students, partners and members of the School and wider community gathered in the Centenary Centre for the Opening Night of the 2025 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize.
With more than 350 in attendance, Principal Dr Anne Johnstone had the honour of announcing Sydney-based artist Janet Laurence as the winner of the Professional artist category, for her chromogenic print artwork, Moss Water Ice Temperature Rising, winning $35,000 in the process.
The judging panel said of Janet’s winning work, ‘It presents a powerful message about climate change, addressing notions of care and healing for our natural world. Her use of translucent paint and delicate printed photographic image of an ancient miniature forest of moss growing in Antarctica, speak to the fragility of nature whilst the gestural, poured paint demonstrates the human effect on the landscape and is a reminder of the processes of melting and dissolving, and imagined rehydration and nurturing.’
Now in its ninth year, the annual acquisitive prize received 1934 entrants (more than double the entries of the Archibald Prize), which was subsequently narrowed down to a pool of 99 finalists, comprising of 50 Professional Artists, 36 Emerging Artists and 13 Indigenous Emerging Artists – a record, following the highest number of Indigenous Emerging entrants ever. The 2025 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize received entries from every state and territory in Australia.
Art Prize Patron, judge, artist and Alumni Jade Oakley (1993) said, ‘The judging panel was overwhelmed by the high quality of artworks submitted for the 2025 Art Prize, making our selection process all the more difficult.’
‘I’m extremely proud to see the continued growth and popularity of the Prize, and the opportunities it affords professional, emerging and Indigenous women artists across the country.’
The Emerging Artist Prize, supported by the Reed Family Foundation, was won by artist Lilli Strömland for her oil on linen and stoneware work, Ode to Peaches and Cleaning, which the judges described as ‘a joyful and closely observed celebration of incidental objects that explore contemporary Australian domesticity.’
South Australian artist Fiona Pompey was named the winner of the Indigenous Emerging Artist Prize, supported by Guardian and Scarborough Foundation, for her acrylic on Belgian linen work, Tali Nguru, which the judges described as an ‘intriguing and exciting [work] as forms are disguised and revealed through a veil of rhythmic pattern.’
Principal Dr Anne Johnstone reflected on the Art Prize, saying, ‘Our vision and mission for the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize is to empower women artists, both professional and emerging, by providing a significant platform to showcase their works and, importantly, as Australia’s most valuable art prize for women, to encourage them to continue creating art, expressing their unique gifts and perspective and having their voices heard.’
‘Since 2017, we have received over 13,000 entries and exhibited more than 900 finalists, and in this way, we are so thrilled to have helped offer strong support to women artists across our nation through providing meaningful opportunities for them to showcase their creative endeavors and works.’
The Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize is made possible by generous partners who support women artists and the arts sector. Thank you to Gold Partners The Marshall Group and Trippas White Group; Gold Media Partners R.M Williams OUTBACK, Active Networks, and The Australian; Silver Partners Guardian and Scarborough Foundation, The Reed Family Foundation, Clarke Murphy Print and Lindfield & Districts Community Bank; and Bronze Partners Kelvin Hall Floral Design, EPM Projects, The Art Scene, Ku-ring-gai Council, Derivan and Edwina Palmer.
The 2025 Finalists artworks are on display in the 2025 Exhibition of Finalists which is free and open to the public 10.00am-4.00pm, Thursday to Sunday between 21 June and 6 July, at Ravenswood School for Girls – Gate 3, 10 Henry St, Gordon NSW. The artworks can also be viewed through a virtual Exhibition tour. The virtual tour and the sale of artworks are available at ravenswoodartprize.com.au
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