Famous faces: Australia's Martin Kantor portrait prize finalists

The Guardian

2 days ago

This black and white photograph depicts artist Hoda Afshar, whose acclaimed work has significantly shaped contemporary visual culture in Australia. Photographed on analogue film, resisting digital immediacy. The double exposure introduces a layered visual language reflecting identity as shifting, contingent and multiple. Photograph: David Rosetzky
Peter Singer AC is best known for his work in bioethics and his role as one of the intellectual founders of the modern animal rights movement. In this portrait, inspired by The Tears of Saint Peter by Juan Bautista Maino, Human and non-human are depicted at equal height. Photograph: Petrina Hicks
This portrait captures Yual Reath, a Ballarat athlete whose story transcends sport. At 24 he represented Australia at the Paris Olympic Games and continues to compete at the highest level. His journey from a hopeful immigrant boy to an elite athlete embodies the relentless pursuit of dreams. Photograph: Ian Kemp
From Queen Elizabeth II, Nick Cave, Cate Blanchett, Polly Borland's portraits are unforgettable. Polly costumed as a silhouette beneath a flying cape conjures the super-heroic, the oracle, trickster – all herself. 'This portrait is not a mirror,' says photographer and friend Bronwyn Kidd, 'it is a myth unfolding.' Photograph: Bronwyn Kidd
John Gollings is an Australian architectural photographer. This portrait was created in John's final days in his studio building, in front of a photo of his hand taken by his son Gus. Photograph: Suzanne Phoenix
'The night before the shoot, I watched Troye Sivan's music videos with my six-year-old daughter, Sidney,' says photographer Mia McDonald. 'She adored theatricality.' The chosen setup, comprised of just McDonald and her assistant Arnaud gave space to be intimate. Outside, a line of about 150 people were all waiting to catch a glimpse of Troye Sivan. Photograph: Mia McDonald
Environmentalist, doctor and former politician Bob Brown stands on the stump of a giant eucalyptus regnant in the southern forests of Lutruwita, Tasmania. Bob has been fighting for the end of native forest logging in Australia for many years, and even in his 80s continues to do so. Photograph: Matthew Newton
Anne Zahalka is one of Australia's most highly regarded photo-media artists, with a career spanning 40 years. Her practice deconstructs familiar scenes, re-presenting them to allow alternative narratives that reflect on cultural diversity and the climate crisis. Photographer Joy Mei En Lai's portraits reflect a direct connection with her subjects: intimate, engaged and affirming their accomplished creative careers. Photograph: Joy Mei En Lei
Tim Winton is one of Australia's most revered literary voices, whose work's, including Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, Breath and his latest novel Juice have profoundly shaped the nation's cultural and artistic identity. Winton stands as a pillar of contemporary Australian storytelling – introspective, unpretentious, and deeply attuned to place. Photograph: Adam Ferguson
Poet and multidisciplinary artist and 2020 NSW Aboriginal woman of the year Kirli Saunders (OAM) alongside musician and illustrator, Mark Chester Harding who have come together to form Cooee. The project brings together Kirli's poetry and Mark's music, with both artists also producing visual works under the Cooee name. Photograph: TW Baker
Callum Linnane, a principal artist with the Australian Ballet, was born and grew up in Ballarat and entered the Australian Ballet School at a young age. Callum has gone on to dance so many of the leading roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire and recently premiered the role of Oscar Wilde in a newly created work, Oscar by lauded choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon. 'Our portrait session was a beautiful opportunity to share past, present moment and future dreams,' says photographer Simon Dow. Photograph: Simon Dow
Benjamin Law captured in a moment of precarious equilibrium by photographer Dane Beesley, seemingly on the verge of toppling yet utterly balanced and confident. The image is a visual metaphor for Law's multifaceted career and public persona. His work frequently pushes boundaries, challenging conventional thinking and inviting audiences to consider perspectives they might not have otherwise encountered. Photograph: Dane Beesley
Tajette O'Halloran was commissioned to photograph Missy Higgin's album campaign for The Second Act. 'The intention was less about creating traditional portraits and more about documenting a moment of transformation.' says O'Halloran. 'It was an opportunity to capture a woman in the midst of an unraveling, quietly sitting with the weight of her own evolution.' Photograph: Tajette O'Halloran
The self-portrait captured in motion-blur, overlaid with childhood memories, printed on to LD45 foam, and hand-sculpted to echo emotional distortion and displacement. Red threads spill from severed hands, symbolising a quiet unravelling, being handcuffed by grief and inability to stop what has been lost or still to come. 'This work reflects the lasting impact of migrating from Iran to Australia, losing family and friends, and the slow disconnection from my origin,' says photographer Forough Yavari. Photograph: Forough Yavari
Tim Rogers, frontman of iconic rock band You Am I. Beyond music, he has contributed to Australian arts as an author, playwright, and actor, enriching the country's creative landscape. 'My hope with this shoot was to create a bold and unpolished portrait, inspired by You Am I's early grunge aesthetic,' says photographer Thérèse Maher. Photograph: Thérèse Maher
Ken Seaton is a poet that has written and published a mountain of work. He has also organised more than 2,000 poetry events in Melbourne. Photographer Alan Mitchell first saw Ken in a late night folk and poetry venue in Melbourne in the late 70s. 'He did not recite his words, he performed them,' says Mitchell. 'This portrait is my visual attempt to represent Ken's longevity and lifetime passionate dedication to words.' Photograph: Alan Mitchell
Renowned Indigenous activist, writer, actor and academic, Prof Gary Foley, photographed by long-term friend Rod McNicol. 'A year or so ago the Indigenous voice referendum came and went,' says Foley. 'This portrait of Gary was made in that post-referendum period, and it reflects something of the gravitas that underlied our reaction to the emphatically negative response that the voice referendum received.' Photograph: Rod McNicol
Having long been an admirer of Melbourne-based artist and lecturer Harry Nankin's work, photographer Naomi Herzog was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet him. 'He talked about various ideas he was working on and I was given a glimpse into some of the work in his studio. Using one of his images as a backdrop, I worked with the strong lines of Harry's profile to capture this portrait.' Photograph: Naomi Herzog
A portrait of Merryn Schriever, the only female director of a fine art auction house in Australia. Merryn's extensive knowledge of Australian contemporary art, building knowledge of and strong relationships with artists and collectors helped her break the glass ceiling in a male-dominated auction world. 'I have photographed Merryn with a rare collection of ceramic 'Wally Birds' which had surfaced in Australia in the 1870s,' says photographer Kellie Leczinska.
Photograph: Kellie Leczinska