Archibald season kicks off with Indigenous rapper win

The annual unveiling of the finalists in the annual Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious art award, has kicked off with a portrait of an Indigenous rapper nabbing the staff-favourite award.

Matt Adnate’s dramatic portrait of Baker Boy — Yolngu rapper Danzal Baker — took out the $3000 Packing Room Prize as finalists in the Archibald awards were publicly revealed on Thursday.

Accepting the honour at the Art Gallery of NSW, the former graffiti artist said he could never have dreamed of clinching such a coveted award after spending the first 10 years of his career “just painting letters”.

Behind him hung the paintings of 57 finalists for the annual $100,000 Archibald Prize, the nation’s premier award for portraiture.

“Growing up as a graffiti artist I never dreamed of being able to even name one of my artworks in a place like the Art Gallery of NSW,” Adnate said.

The rap music fan added that he listened to Baker Boy while he painted.

“When you’re painting, you’re listening to eight-to-10 hours of music a day,” Adnate said.

The finalists included the highest-ever number of Indigenous artists among the cohort selected from more than 1000 entries.

Baker Boy said it was an honour to be included in the collection after his portrait took out the packers’ prize, which has been judged for more than 30 years by gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries.

“Matt’s work tells stories, he captures great strength and vulnerability, but most importantly his work amplifies the voice of those he paints, which is very powerful,” the rapper said.

Adnate used spray paint and synthetic polymer paint — which he has used in murals of Baker Boy and other artists around the world — and includes an abstract reflection of Arnhem Land, where the musician grew up, in his eyes.

Rhythms of heritage is the second portrait of Adnate’s to be named a finalist in the Archibald, after his portrait of Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns was in the running last year.

This year’s 57 finalists included 25 debutantes and 32 former finalists, and for a second year in a row there are more women finalists than men.

Four finalists are Aboriginal artists, bringing the total number of Indigenous artists to be named finalists since the Archibald Prize began to 31.

Of the 57 sitters depicted in the portraits, there are number of prominent Aussies, including Matildas star Cortnee Vine (painted by Tim Owers’), Blue Wiggle Anthony Field (by Camellia Morris), and ABC presenter Tony Armstrong (painted by Mia Boe).

Portraits of sexual consent activist Chanel Contos also featured (painted by Eliza Bertwistle), singer-songwriter Missy Higgins (painted by her sister Nicola Higgins), and persecuted journalist Julian Assange (by Shaun Gladwell) also made the cut.

A total of 138 finalists were announced for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on Thursday.

The Wynne Prize recognises either landscape paintings depicting Australian scenery or figure sculptures by local artists, while the Sulman Prize is for subject painting, genre painting or murals.

The winners of the three main prizes will be announced on June 7, with the exhibition running from June 8 until September 8.