Perth artist’s portrait of Fiona Wood a hopeful for this year’s Archibald Prize
Deb Hamm with her portrait of Fiona Wood.
A portrait of Perth’s world-renowned burns specialist Professor Fiona Wood will soon be on its way for consideration in the 2023 Archibald Prize exhibition, an annual art competition organised by the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney.
The artwork, titled Fiona on Skin, sees Professor Wood’s portrait engraved or ‘etched’ on to a large piece of cow leather stretched over a wooden frame, with acrylics used to paint her features.
Part time artist, full time change management professional Deb Hamm from Health Support Services explained she chose leather as the ‘canvas’ because she felt it was symbolic to have Professor Wood’s portrait on ‘skin,’ noting her prolific work in this area.
“The cow leather, or ‘skin,’ not only highlights her amazing contributions to science, but also brings the viewer to a sense of understanding of how important Professor Wood’s research is,” Miss Hamm said.
“Feeling and seeing the leather – there’s something to it. A feeling that is hard to describe unless you are standing in front of the painting.”
Miss Hamm first met Professor Fiona Wood while working in the Child and Adolescent Health Service at Perth Children’s Hospital. After their initial meeting, she explained she left quite inspired, and has now captured the energy she felt in that room to her portrait.
“Dr Wood flies the flag high for every single female in the world, showing us again and again that women can accomplish incredible things,” Miss Hamm said.
“It’s not only her contributions to science and research through the Fiona Wood Foundation that are worthy of showcasing, but her story as a woman, a mother, and as a wife.
“Her legacy will live in Australia forever from her heroic performance during the devastating Bali bombings tragedy to her research on skin scarring and ‘spray on skin.’ She’s a force to be reckoned with, and she deserves a spot in the Australian National Portrait Gallery for generations to see.”
This is the second time the Scarborough resident has submitted an artwork for consideration to the Archibald exhibition, with Miss Hamm first painting Danny Ford OAM in 2018.
Never professionally trained in the arts, Miss Hamm explained that through her portraits, she tries to use her innate artistic talents to showcase other people’s work.
“WA has a range of incredible citizens who wake up every day and fight hard to make a difference in their society,” Miss Hamm said.
“I painted both Danny and Fiona because of their contributions to our health and wellbeing - their selfless acts become our benefit. And it’s their work that needs to be recognised, not mine.”
The Archibald Prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.
This open competition is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW. If chosen as a finalist, the portrait will be displayed in an exhibition at the Gallery.