Young Archie competition 2025: Australia's awards for child portrait artists

The Guardian

13 hours ago

'This is a portrait of my dad. He is kind and strong, and always takes care of me'
'This is my soccer coach. He always says 'Give it your best shot!' so I painted him giving HIS best shot! He loves showing us cool tricks, like bicycle kicks, even though he sometimes falls on his back. His hair is spiky because he runs so fast and his face looks serious because scoring goals is serious business. I think this is the best goal he ever scored … even if it's just in my painting!'
'This is me with Cinnamon the chicken. I really love birds and I want to be a birdwatcher when I grow up. My favourite part of my picture is the crest and the criss-cross feet of the chicken'
'I wanted to show how my dad feels when he listens to music. It's like the music takes him to a new place when he closes his eyes. I used colours to show how the sound turns into waves and light. Music isn't just something we hear, it's something we feel, too'
'I chose Dan because he is my good friend Dawar's dad and he's an artist. He turns people into pirates in his paintings, makes big artworks on buildings that have nice shadows, makes artworks with lots of round mirrors that you can see different reflections in, and he is famous for his art. He is really nice and cool. He is from Kudjala, Ghungalu, Wangerriburra, Wakka Wakka, Gubbi Gubbi, Kuku Yalanji, Bundjalung – and Yuggera Countries and lives on Gadigal land. He's really good at basketball. The whole family does lots of sport. They have a pug named Solo'
'This is my great grandma, Oma. She has lived for 93 years. She has seen a lot. She was originally from Lithuania. I love that I can connect with that side of my family'
'This is my brother. I watched him cradling the tiny kitten with his arms wrapped around it as if protecting the most precious treasure. His face was calm and his breath was in rhythm with its tiny purrs. I used to think he was just a noisy kid, but in that moment I saw something else – a heart big enough to love so completely, to care so deeply. As they slept, I realised how lucky I was to grow up alongside a soul as gentle as his'
'When I was little, I had a favourite stuffed toy. I would often hug it and bite it. This portrait blends my memory of biting the toy's ear with things from my imagination. Half of my face transforms into my favourite animal – a cat. Cats are curious and adventurous, always wanting to explore and discover. This represents my way of seeing the world – mixing real experience with fantasy'
'This is my goofy brother, Joey. He's evil; he ate the forbidden peach and broke the straw brush. He likes LEGO and would do anything to get it but then he uses it to make booby traps all over our bedroom floor. Sometimes he's sweet, though. He does jobs that I don't want to do, such as asking for screen time and then getting into trouble from Mummy instead of me'
'There's something special about a box – the treasures inside, the possibilities it holds and the people who find magic in them. Whenever my grandpa visits, we struggle to throw anything away. 'You know what that's good for?' he'll ask, turning a pill jar or cookie tin in his hands like a treasure. Cereal boxes, shoe boxes, chewing gum containers – each one has a purpose. But maybe it's not about the boxes at all. Maybe it's about the love of saving them and the environment – a quiet reminder that even the smallest things are worth holding onto'
'This artwork depicts my little sister as its main subject through the lens of my own perspective. To me, this portrait is about showing familial love and appreciation for my sister. As I reflected on why I chose her for this portrait, I realised how truly grateful I was to have her in my life as both a sister and a friend. Her support and love are unconditional and unmatched and no amount of paint can express how much I admire her kind, caring and brave personality'
'In my artwork I have depicted my grandpa and younger brother, some of the most important people in my life. Both of them have taught me valuable lessons in life, like how to show leadership and empathy. Through my artwork I have tried to portray how hard it was for them to separate at the airport when we moved to Australia. We regularly FaceTime each other to show our love for one another and catch up'
'I wanted to draw my teacher, Ms Jensen, because she is kind, encouraging and caring, and I know she will continue to support me as I progress through school. I am part of an extracurricular group at my school for students interested in human rights and inclusivity that Ms Jensen runs. Here she is wearing a hand-painted, wooden pendant from the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission, representing her support for the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Ms Jensen inspires me to be the best person I can be!'
'I owe my love of reading to my mum. She has collected many books that line the walls of our house. Despite their contents being unknown to me, they have always had a presence in my life. Here she sits and reads as research for her own book, which will be about child therapy (she works as a child psychologist). She has been writing it all summer. As I get older, I begin to steal all her old books and read them for myself'
'I decided to paint a self-portrait as a tribute to myself and my strength. My bedroom is a representation of me and all the factors that contribute to who I am today, including pictures of my friends and memories pinned on my walls. Our spaces are a reflection of our minds, and the walls behind me offer a look into my personality'
'Brahmi is a drawing of one of my best friends who was in the grade above me at school. I have chosen to make her the focus of this piece as she is the first of my friends to go off to university. I wanted to find a way to show her how much I will miss her during my last year of high school, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do just that'
'I have chosen to depict my grandad in this portrait. I chose him because he is a great supporter of my art. I love how he would crack jokes and give me life advice when I was facing a problem. He's always been there for me, and I wanted to encapsulate his warmth and wisdom in one of my artworks'
'I have chosen to depict my mum and her younger self in this portrait. Over the years, she's faced many challenges that have left lasting impacts on her, both physically and mentally. She was once a beautician and developed a sickness that changed her appearance. She also had an operation in order to give birth to me. Without her, I would not be in this world right now. I am very grateful for the care and love that she has nurtured me with'
'What does a mother's love look like? Is it the warmth of her smile, the softness of her eyes, or the way she always turns back to make sure you're still there? This is my mum, Monette, drawn in the glow of a bustling street. The world blurs behind her into passing figures and neon lights, but she remains radiant, her endless kindness an anchor and a guide for my family. This portrait reflects of the love that shapes me – a love that needs no words to be felt'