‘Hugo Weaving is an Australian cultural treasure, an artist in every sense of the word,’ says artist Del Kathryn Barton. ‘For many years I have admired his work both on screen and stage. Initially I had considered a very simple pictorial approach for Hugo, a bearded man in a black suit. But when we sat down to discuss the portrait I was enchanted by the rich content in his stories and felt moved to interpret and assemble a kind of personalised symbology within his portrait. More than anything I hoped to portray a sincere, deep, generous and creative soul.’
Del Kathryn Barton’s decorative, highly detailed paintings are known for their vibrant, figurative imagery – combining traditional painting techniques with contemporary design and illustrative styles. This is her fourth time in the Archibald Prize, which she won in 2008 with a portrait of herself with her two children.
The text by Julie Ewington is almost complete, we are working closely with Del Kathryn Barton on the design of the first two chapters, and we have just settled on a cover image