Susan Roux wins 2020 John Stringer Prize

 Artist Susan Roux has been awarded the 2020 John Stringer Prize announced at John Curtin Gallery. Her work, I – VI, features alongside new mixed media artworks by five fellow contemporary Western Australian artists, each nominated for this year’s prestigious Prize.  The other five artists, Eva Fernandez, Fiona Gavino, Peggy Griffiths Madij, Curtis Taylor and Mark Tweedie will show their work alongside Roux‘s winning work as part of an exhibition now open to the public until 13 December.  

Roux says she certainly wasn’t expecting to win. “I was very overwhelmed. With so many other fantastic artists involved I was in such good company, so it was an honour to be nominated.”

The Prize was established in memory of John Stringer, renowned Curator of the Kerry Stokes Collection and advisor to The Collectors Club, who passed away in 2007. It honours John’s life and the legacy of his influence on and contribution to local visual arts and culture. In keeping with John’s passionate devotion to the arts, and his wish to see greater patronage of local artists, the Prize is intended to encourage and support Western Australian artists. The Prize, which was conceived and facilitated by The Collectors Club, connects locally based artists with collectors, thus contributing to the vibrancy and economic viability of the Western Australian art scene. 

Roux says she is in awe of the achievements of both the late John Stringer and The Collectors Club. “It’s not really about winning,” she says. “It about being exhibited amongst these great artists, and about this competition continuing on. I’m now wondering what I can do to help encourage other artists to aim towards this very different art prize.”

Her winning work, l-VI is comprised of seven separate works taking up an entire gallery. The grandeur of her landscape is formed with paper, its figures clothed in imagined territories.

Prize coordinator Anna Richardson says Roux’s ambitious installation highlighted her technical prowess and poetic style. “The grand scale of these works are a testament to the intricacy and depth of her practice.” Richardson says. 

Roux praised the install team at John Curtin Gallery for their patience. “It wasn’t an easy work to install, and I don’t think I’m easy to work with, so there’s a special thank you to them,” she says.

The $12,500 John Stringer Prize is a non-acquisitive, annual award aimed at recognising and supporting outstanding Western Australian visual art practice and is generously supported by The Collectors Club and the Kerry Stokes Collection. This year artists were selected by an independent selection panel consisting of Janis Nedela Curatorial Department, the Kerry Stokes Collection, Glenn Iseger-Pilkington, Lead Consultant, Gee Consultancy and Jane King, Manager, John Curtin Gallery. 

The John Stringer Prize is on show until 13 December at John Curtin Gallery.

Three free artist’s talks will be held at the John Curtin Gallery as part of its public program: 

Wednesday 18 November: Join 2020 John Stringer Prize artists Fiona Gavino and Susan Roux in conversation with selection panel member Jane King, Gallery Manager, John Curtin Gallery

Wednesday 25 November: Join 2020 John Stringer Prize artists Eva Fernandez and Mark Tweedie in conversation with selection panel member Janis Nedela, Curatorial Department, the Kerry Stokes Collection. 

Wednesday 2 December: Join 2020 John Stringer Prize artist Curtin Taylor in conversation with Glenn Iseger-Pilkington. They will be joined by Cathy Cummins, Manager, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and Dora Griffiths, daughter of artist Peggy Griffiths Madij, to talk about the works.