Pitjantjatjara artist Mumu Mike Williams is the first winner of the Footscray Art Prize.
Williams won the $10,000 cash prize for his Postbag Painting, in which he painted on repurposed Australia Post canvas mailbags.
The artist chose the mailbags – which are Commonwealth property – as his painting surface in a bold statement about ownership and the conflict between Commonwealth law and Anangu lore.
Williams said he was delighted and surprised to have won, and was moved by the receptive audience he found in Melbourne.
“I entered this prize as I knew that Footscray was a place that really embraced and celebrated diversity, which is important to me,” he said. “Even though all the shortlisted artworks were very diverse, there was a strong and powerful message in all of them.”
Williams grew up around Pukatja and is a traditional ngangkari healer, currently living in the Northern Territory.
His work, selected from more than 800 eligible entries, will be on display at the Footscray Community Arts centre until June 24.
Other winners included: Street Art Prize, Heesco for
Miss Citizen of the World; Tertiary Art Prize, Mohsen Meysami for Their Pain, Our Gain; Young Artist (13-17 years), Jaina Zheng for Estranged; Young Artist (12 and under), Cathy Tran for Decorated Pot.
