Mandorla Art Award
2024
There are some famous passages from St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians that deal with love. Among them from his first letter is ‘Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude’ (1 Corinthians 13:4). For the Mandorla Art Award 2024 the committee chose the theme: Refocus. ‘Let all that you do be done in love’ (1 Corinthians 16:14).
From the 251 artists who submitted artworks, 41 were chosen and the gallery was literally full of love. The stories from the artists were deeply personal giving an insight into their world of love.
The St John of God Health Care prize of $30,000 went to Sarah Elson (Western Australia) with her work 390 Acts of Love. Using collected items from gardens she has transformed each tiny piece into metals cast with love, each tiny piece an act of love. Sarah believes that every tiny act of love makes the world, and the giver, better than before.
Image: Sarah Elson. 390 Acts of Love. Repurposed electrical cables, unwanted jewellery, and lemel – silver, copper, gold, aluminium, wood, glass, silver hingers. 20 x 33 x 33cm.
The Highly Commended Prize ($5,000) sponsored by the Perth Catholic Archdiocese was presented to Bernard Appassamy from Sydney. His artwork, The Twelve Napkins, represents the loving relationship with his deeply faith-filled Mauritian Catholic mother. His mother embroidered the napkins with flowers for him in 1990. After he came out as a gay man the relationship was fraught and they found a loving space where they could still share love and laughter. After she died he embroidered her favourite recipes into the napkins. The napkins are shaped into bishops’ mitres to represent his mother’s love for the Church and there are twelve as a symbol of God’s perfect order as in the twelve tribes of Israel and the apostles. This is a deeply moving work.
Image: Dr Debra Sayce from the Perth Catholic Archdiocese, representing Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, and Dr Angela McCarthy, Chairperson of the Mandorla Art Award, with Bernard Appassamy’s artwork. Bernard Appassamy. The Twelve Napkins. Linen and cotton 15 x 80 x 35cm
The Anglican Diocese of Perth Highly Commended Prize ($5,000) was given to Kathy Ramsay from the Warmun Community in the Kimberley. Kathy was unable to be present but sent a wonderful video of thanks while en-route to Broome. Her work tells the story of the death of her son her recovery from alcoholism through the power of Jesus and his word. The artwork is painted with the natural ochres of the Kimberly that give it a gritty texture. Kathy was born again as a Christian and gave her heart and life to Jesus forever. In the painting, the arms of Jesus shield her in her vulnerability.
Image: Kathy Ramsay. My Father’s Country – Warlawoon (Bedford Downs). Natural ochre on canvas. 100 x 100cm
The Mandorla Art Award has been associated with the New Norcia Holy Trinity Benedictine Abbey since it began in 1985. Our winning artworks are cared for in their high quality gallery and museum facility. The Benedictine community also awards the People’s Choice Prize ($2,000) and this time it was won by Kaye Redman from Queensland. In her statement Kaye, who is the mother of four young children, said that ‘in the complexities of maternal love lies a simple focus: We love because he first loved us’. Kaye envisages motherhood in the light of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Image: Kaye Redman. Pietà. Acrylic and mixed media on board. 120 x 80cm
This year the Mandorla Art Award also offered the inaugural $10,000 Artist’s Residency Prize in conjunction with the New Norcia Benedictine Community. The premises to be used is currently being renovated and will house a gallery dedicated to all the Mandorla winning works and will also house a studio plus living quarters for the artist. The inaugural winner is Helen Seiver (Western Australia). There were 100 artists from throughout Australia who were interested in this residency.
Many of us will remember the Linoleum floors and the patterns that are used in this artwork. Those floors saw many acts of love within many homes ‘with the countless marks of care history’. Helen also speaks of ‘personal, heartfelt memories; those of patience, tolerance, the security of warm beds. . .’, all of which were given with unconditional love. This is the kind of love that St Paul refers to when he said: ‘Let everything you do be done in love’.
Image: Helen Seiver. Love Maps the Home. Found Linoleum, embroidery thread, glue on board. 115 x 140cm
