© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Darling Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
Dagmar Cyrulla
born Germany, lives Australia
A colourful life 2024
oil and synthetic polymer paint on linen
‘This is a portrait of multidisciplinary
artists, Abdul Abdullah and Amrita Hepi. I
wanted to paint Abdul as I admire his work and felt him to be a warm soul. When
I phoned him, he said he was meeting his then soon-to-be-wife Amrita in Naarm/Melbourne where I am based. Given I love
relationship narratives, I happily invited Amrita to join us. We played
with different scenarios; they are both incredibly creative, dynamic,
reflective and engaging. They were very comfortable together and with
themselves. I wanted to capture that energy and spontaneity and the freshness
of spirit I saw, and for the painting to reflect the colourful
life they would have and are having together.’
Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Dagmar Cyrulla
constructs contemporary narratives in her paintings and sculptures, encouraging
contemplation and discussion of what it is to be human in this ever-changing
and socially challenging world.
© The artist
The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG.
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