The fifth iteration of the two-yearly awards attracted 550 entries from across the country, covering a broad range of artistic disciplines, all competing for a prize pool of $18,000.
Awards were given across four categories — painting and 2D media; printmaking, photography and digital works; 3D media, sculpture and jewellery; and textile, embroidery and stitch.
The supreme award of $10,000, sponsored by the Cleveland Charitable Foundation, went to gHosttrunk by Dean Raybould, of Oamaru, which also won the category 1 Excellence Award (painting and 2D Media). The work featured text and imagery painted on a repurposed vintage trunk lid.
Other category winners were: category 2 (printmaking, photography, digital graphics) — Mark Graver for No.70 Broad Bay 1; category 3 (3D media, sculpture and jewellery) — Innocenza Toritto for Odd Boxed Memories; and category 4 (textile, embroidery and stitch) — Samantha Sutherland for Secret Beach Te Puru.
The Young Artist Award went to Joel Potter for photography work The After Image/Ghost.
The award-winning works were then selected from the physical exhibition, and the awards were announced at a function before the exhibition opened on March 22.
Exhibition organisers said the exhibition was an "excellent opportunity for the public to view a large variety of works from artists across New Zealand".
The exhibition continues until April 26, entry is free and all works are for sale.
Members of the public are encouraged to vote for their favourite work in the People’s Choice Awards, the winner to receive $1000.
