A Kyneton local has been named as a finalist for the 2023 National Capital Art Prize for his painting on human nature.
Artist Daniel Butterworth was one of 93 finalists chosen from more than 800 impressive and high quality entries from across Australia.
Mr Butterworth said he was surprised to receive the news, and that while his painting was brutal it shared an important message.
“The artwork is a figure of a head where it’s being cut open, it’s quite brutal,” he said.
“The reason I painted this was for the contrast of colours… that is what attracted me to painting this series.
“The whole thing of human nature is all about how we keep hurting ourselves and hurting the planet but we don’t learn… This whole image is about not learning.
“I think it’s in our nature to hurt, so this was a big point about this image.”
Mr Butterworth said he started painting after a trip to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) sparked an interest in art.
“I remember when I was about eight years old going to the NGV and seeing a portrait of Rembrandt and thinking this is amazing, this is for me.
“From then on I was drawing and painting… and now I’ll paint two or three paintings a day.”
The judging panel for the competition will announce the three category winners on September 14, before the four week public exhibition in Canberra.
Public voting for an online People’s Choice Award is also open until September 11.
Details: rb.gy/rc4hm
Zoe Moffatt
