This curation reflects Bluethumb Art Prize 2021 judge Kathrin Longhurst’s scorecard selections across each category award (Photography, Portrait, Still Life, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander, Abstract, Landscape, Digital and Sculpture) as well as her top five overall.
In order, her top nomination is Mariner Mission Ed. 1 of 1 by Andrew Rovenko, a photograph conveying a sense of isolation and rediscovery through the eyes of a child in lockdown. A question is raised: where is our world heading and what is our role to play?
Memories of the pandemic continue to linger in Kathrin's second choice Mirror into Mirror, a sensitive and masterfully worked oil painting in the portrait category. Here, Kathrin notes the sense of absolute trust needed between the painter and subject to draw out a rare moment of male vulnerability. This was also Kathrin’s first choice for the Portrait Award.
Honesty is a key feature behind her third place nomination Limitless by Fiona Elisala Mosby, a monotype which evokes a contemporary and distinctly indigenous aesthetic. Conveyed in minaral or patterning, the artist seeks to express the serene spiritual connection between traditional Aboriginal beliefs and the unknown.
Fourth place sees another Indigenous artist’s submission in the sculpture category. Roma Butler’s Alkuwari celebrates the authentic yet terrifying state of the female form, constructed in all natural materials. In a world full of airbrushed ideals, the strength of the subject’s pose, unkempt hair and droopy breasts stand out defiantly, making her all the more worthy of admiration.
The final entry of her top five belongs to a leading contemporary Aboriginal artist. Blak Douglas’s acrylic landscape painting, How fast are you going now? commands the viewer’s attention with its strong visual language, calling to mind the graphic simplicity of propaganda art. By doing so, Douglas raises uncomfortable questions on the treatment of First Nations People and climate inaction by the government.
See the rest of Kathrin’s picks across all eight categories in this curation.

Curated by Kathrin Longhurst