Sculpture by the Sea has wrapped up its massive return year on Cottesloe Beach, with a mix of local favourites and nationally recognised artists taking out some of the exhibition’s top honours.
Winner of the $5,000 EY People’s Choice Award was acclaimed Australian artist Tim Storrier AM for Emperor of the Abrolhos — a striking, mirror-finished pelican sculpture inspired by the islands off WA’s coast, designed to reflect the changing light and environment throughout the day.
Meanwhile, the Kids’ Choice Prize went to Drew McDonald for SOMA — a nod to the next generation of artists and creative thinkers and perhaps unsurprisingly appealing to kids, given it features dolphins (rather spectacularly) flying out of a toaster.
Image Credit: Michael Goh
They join a broader list of award winners announced as the iconic beachside exhibition drew to a close on Monday.
Perth artist Jason Hirst was named the Exhibiting Artists’ Pick for his work Love U — a playful, interactive piece that invited visitors to leave their own messages, turning the sculpture into a kind of evolving love letter across the course of the exhibition.
Image Credit: Michael Goh
Fellow WA artist Vaughn Bisschops also earned recognition, taking out the Sculpture by the Sea Staff Pick for Heaven Is A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens, a more contemplative work exploring ideas of spirituality, ritual and shared experience.
Image Credit: Richard Watson
Another WA artist to be recognised was Tim Haynes, who received the $5,000 Capral Artist Subsidy for his work The Ghost of Van Eileen. The piece reflects on memory, place and cultural disappearance, paying tribute to a much-loved Cottesloe burger van while exploring how everyday icons help shape a community — and what’s lost when they disappear.
Image Credit: Michael Goh
This year’s exhibition marked a strong return for Sculpture by the Sea in Perth after a year off, drawing more than 230,000 visitors across its run and showcasing around 70 works from artists spanning eight countries.
Image Credit: Michael Goh