Blake Prize

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title: "Blake Prize" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["australian-visual-arts-awards", "awards-established-in-1949", "william-blake", "1949-establishments-in-australia", "blake-prize-for-religious-art"] description: "Australian art prize for spiritual art" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Prize" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian art prize for spiritual art ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox award"]

Field	Value
name	Blake Prize
subheader
image_size
date
location
country	Australia
host
reward	35,000
holder
most_awards	Eric Smith (six times)
award1_type	Inaugural winner
award1_winner	Justin O'Brien (1951)
website
network
viewership
image2_size
::

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The Blake Prize, formerly the Blake Prize for Religious Art, is an Australian art prize awarded for art that explores spirituality. Since the inaugural prize in 1951, the prize was awarded annually from 1951 to 2015. Since 2016 it has been awarded biennially.

, the non-acquisitive prize, awarded since 2016 by the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC), is worth . In addition, CPAC awards the Blake Emerging Artist Prize, an acquisitive prize of (formerly the John Coburn Emerging Artist Award), and the Blake Established Artist Residency, which includes a residency and solo exhibition hosted by CPAC.

History

The prize was established in Sydney in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art), and lawyer M. Tenison. The Blake Prize is named after the artist and poet, William Blake. The inaugural Blake Prize was awarded by the Blake Society in 1951 to Justin O'Brien.

The Blake exhibitions have been a regular travelling exhibition around Australia, visiting various major cities and provincial galleries.

The award of the Blake Prize to Charles Bannon in 1954 for his Judas Iscariot was one of the most controversial in its history; this opened controversy over what constituted religious art and over "abstract expressionism" which threatened to overwhelm the exhibition.

In 2000, the prize shifted its focus from strictly religious art to an exploration of spirituality, and some of the entries proved controversial. In 2007, former prime minister John Howard and former Catholic archbishop of Sydney George Pell expressed disapproval of art works showing the Virgin Mary in a burqa, and a hologram of Christ morphing with Osama bin Laden. In 2008, ''The Australian'''s art critic Christopher Allen resigned from the judging panel over an entry by Adam Cullen showing the crucifixion of Christ.

The prize was known as the Blake Prize for Religious Art until its 56th edition in 2007, and was based at the National Art School in Darlinghurst at this time.

In 2008 the Blake Society, in collaboration with the New South Wales Writers' Centre (now Writing NSW), established the Blake Poetry Prize to link art and literature and to give Australian poets new possibilities to explore the nature of spirituality in the 21st century.

In 2011, Australian art historian, educator and exhibition curator Rosemary Crumlin authored a book documenting 60 years of the Blake Prize.

In 2012, the National Art School was replaced as exhibition partner by the National Trust's S. H. Ervin Gallery in Observatory Park, in Sydney's city centre, for the 61st edition of the awards.

In 2014 there were new commercial sponsors, and the venue partner became UNSW College of Fine Arts (now UNSW School of Art & Design).

The prize was administered by the Blake Society up till and including 2015. After the 63rd edition of the prize in January, chair Rod Pattenden said that it would not be able to continue owing to lack of sponsorship,

In 2016 CPAC took over the prize for the 64th Blake Prize, and it became a biennial award. It now focuses on the broader spiritual arts rather than religious art. The Casula Powerhouse took over the Blake Poetry Prize in the same year.

{{anchor|justice}}Blake Prize for Human Justice==

From 2009 until 2014, the Blake Prize for Human Justice, worth , was sponsored by the Maritime Union of Australia. The winners were:

• 2009: Dianne Coulter
• 2010: Fiona White
• 2011: Abdul Abdullah
• 2012: Saif Almurayati, a former refugee
• 2013: Franz Kempf
• 2014: Hedy Ritterman

Current prizes

, there are three prizes awarded by Casula Powerhouse:

• The Blake Prize, a non-acquisitive prize of
• The Blake Emerging Artist Prize, an acquisitive prize of (formerly the John Coburn Emerging Artist Award)
• The Blake Established Artist Residency, a residency and solo exhibition, hosted by Casula Powerhouse

List of winners

::data[format=table]

Ordinal	Year	Winner(s)	Name of work(s)	Notes	Changed to biennial award
	1951	Justin O'Brien	The Virgin Enthroned	url=https://www.johnmcdonald.net.au/2011/the-60th-blake-prize-exhibition/	title=The 60th Blake Prize Exhibition
	1952	Frank Hinder	Flight into Egypt
	1953	Michael Kmit	The Evangelist John Mark
	1954	Charles Bannon	Judas Iscariot
	1955	Donald Friend	St John and Scenes from the Apocalypse
	1956	Eric Smith	The Scourged Christ
	1957	Elwyn Lynn	Betrayal
	1958	Eric Smith	The Moment Christ Died
	1959	Eric Smith	Christ is Risen
	1960	John Coburn	Triptych of the Passion
	1961	Stanislaus Rapotec	Meditating on Good Friday
	1962	Eric Smith	Eucharistic Landscape
	1963	Leonard French	Ancient Fragments
	1964	Michael Kitching	Last Supper-Premonition
	1965	Asher Bilu	I Form Light and Create Darkness-Isaiah 45:7
	1966	Rodney Milgate	Ascension
	1967	Desiderius Orban	Hosanna
	1968	Roger Kemp	The Cross
	1969	Eric Smith	The Assassin's Creed
	1970	Roger Kemp	Denial
Eric Smith	Christ's Flesh: Living, Suffering and Resurrected
	1971	Desiderius Orban	Transition to Christianity
	1972	Joseph Szabo	Black Friday
	1973	Keith Looby	Your Motel Calvary Still Life Flowers
	1974	Stuart Maxwell	Christ at Emmaus
Ken Whisson	Tobias and the Angel
	1975	Rodney Milgate	Thoughts on Holy Thursday
	1976	David Voigt	Blue Requiem
	1977		John Coburn	Hozanna
Rodney Milgate	Tree
	1978	Noel Tunks	The First Friday Retreat
	1979		Roadside Altar Piece Comas
	1980	Leonard French	Instruments for a Drama Meditation
	1981	David Voigt	Meditation
	1982	Mary Anne Coutts	In Mockery of Christ
Suzie Marston	Sunday School Work Books
	1983		The Offering
	1984	Mary Hall	The Spirit of God hovered brooding over the face of the waters
	1985	John Gould	Votives to Passion
	1986	Roger Akinin	The Day of Atonement, Scapegoat and Apostate
	1987	Ian Grant	The Monks Cloak
Alan Oldfield	A High and perpetual shewing of Christ's mother according to Julian of Norwich
	1988	Lise Floistad	This sign is a hidden treasure which desires to be known
	1989	Warren Breninger	Hail Mary
	1990	Gillian Mann	The Chest
	1991	Alan Oldfield	Raft III
Rosemary Valadon	Before the Fall
	1992	George Gittoes	Ancient Prayer
	1993	John Davis	Some Thoughts on a Miracle
	1994	Hilarie Mais	Veiling Silence
	1995	George Gittoes	The Preacher – Kibeho Massacre Series, Rwanda
	1996	Rachel Ellis	Woman at Jesus' feet
	1997	Thomas Spence	Christmas Day 1914 (God's Truce)
	1998	John Adair	One Dark Night (from St John of the Cross Poem Dark Night of the Soul)
	1999	not awarded
	2000	Frances Belle Parker	The Journey
	2001	Lachlan Warner	Vitrine of lightweight (Sunyata), disposable (annica) Buddhas, in a range of festive colours, postures and mudras
	2002	Hilton McCormick	The Harvest
	2003	Shoufay Derz	Linking Back (Part 1)
	2004	AñA Wojak	Pieta (Dafur)
	2005	James Powditch	God is in the Details (Intelligent Design)
Louise Rippert	Dance
	2006	Euan Macleod	Untitled Landscape with Figure
	2007	Shirley Purdie	Stations of the Cross
	2008	David Tucker	A Local Girl Comes Home
	2009	Angelica Mesiti	Rapture (silent anthem)
	2010	Leonard Brown	If you put your ear close, you’ll hear it breathing
	2011	Khaled Sabsabi	Naqshbandi Greenacre Engagement	(3 channel video)
	2012		Fabian Astore	The Threshold
Eveline Kotai	Writing on air
	2013	Trevor Nickolls	Metamorphosis
	2014	Richard Lewer	Worse Luck I'm Still Here
	2016	Yardena Kurulkar	Kenosis 2015
	2018	Tina Havelock Stevens	Giant Rock
	2020 (2021)	Leyla Stevens	Kidung, a 3-channel video work	Awarded 13 February 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic
	2022	SJ Norman	Cicatrix
	2024	Shireen Taweel	Shoe Bathers
::

References

References

1. (17 November 2007). "Home page".
2. (2021). "Call for Entries: The 67th Blake Prize".
3. Rebecca Somerville. (November 2005). "Feature: Blake Prize". [[Australian Art Review]].
4. "Awards".
5. "Home page".
6. Taylor, Andrew. (8 December 2014). "Blake Prize for religious art under threat".
7. (2008). "Home page".
8. Crumlin, Rosemary. (2011). "The Blake book : art, religion and spirituality in Australia : celebrating 60 years of the Blake Prize".
9. (2012). "Home page".
10. (2011). "Home page".
11. (2014). "Home page".
12. Fairley, Gina. (23 July 2015). "Blake Prize for religious art resurrected".
13. (2016). "Home page".
14. (1 January 2003). "The 64th Blake Prize".
15. "About the Blake Poetry Prize".
16. (26 August 2009). "Blake Art Award".
17. (10 October 2013). "Blake Prize finalists announced".
18. (3 September 2009). "Blake Prize awarded to video artwork - ABC News".
19. (2 September 2010). "'An enormous spiritual presence' wins Blake Prize for artist".
20. Valentish, Jenny. (15 January 2020). "Portrait of the artist in the firing line: Abdul Abdullah on controversy, threats and rightwing hate mail".
21. Abdullah, Abdul. (8 September 2015). "Combating Prejudice with Art". [[TedX]].
22. (8 November 2012). "2012 Blake Prize Winners Announced".
23. (9 December 2013). "Blake Prize for Human Justice awarded to Adelaide artist Franz Kempf".
24. (15 December 2014). "The 63rd Blake Prize winners".
25. McDonald, John. (2011-10-01). "The 60th Blake Prize Exhibition". John McDonald.
26. (2 October 1964). "Blake Prize Winner – £500 Prize To Teacher". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
27. "2009 Judges Comments – Blake Prize".
28. McDonald, John. (2010-09-20). "The Blake Prize". John McDonald.
29. (2012-11-08). "2012 Blake Prize Winners Announced". Art Almanac.
30. (2013-10-21). "2013 Blake Prize Winners". Art Almanac.
31. Collins, Antoinette. (2014-12-14). "Artist Richard Lewer wins $25,000 Blake Prize for religious art as future of award in doubt". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
32. (11 February 2019). "The 65th Blake Prize".
33. Pitt, Helen. (2016-02-12). "Artist Yardena Kurulkar named Blake Prize 2016 winner". Sydney Morning Herald.
34. McDonald, John. (2018-06-01). "The Blake Prize 2018: Missing the mysterium tremendum". Sydney Morning Herald.
35. (March 2021). "The 66th Blake Prize".
36. (16 September 2023). "66th Blake Prize: 13 February - 11 April 2021 [Exhibition catalogue]". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.
37. Centre, Casula Powerhouse Arts. (2022-06-26). "The 67th Blake Prize Exhibition".
38. "Casula Powerhouse Announces The Winners Of The 68th Blake Prize For Art And Poetry".

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