A life-like portrait of a Sudanese refugee has captured the hearts of the Australian public.
Traditionally a tight contest, this year's winner of the Archibald Prize People's Choice Award was a clear favourite, taking the prize by more than a thousand votes.
Nick Stathopoulos' portrait of Deng Adut (Art Gallery NSW) Source: Art Gallery NSW
Deng's story
The artist behind the painting said he selected his subject after an advertisement featuring Sydney lawyer and refugee Deng Adut went viral last year.
“We saw his advertisement for Western Sydney University and I found it incredibly moving,” Mr Stathopoulos said.
The advertisement documents Deng’s life as a former child soldier who fled South Sudan and came to Australia 18 years ago.
Despite initial reluctance to be the subject of an Archibald Prize entry, Deng says he's amazed by the result.
“When I look at the portrait I see my inner-self in the portrait.”
“I can see what I’m thinking, what I’m doing at that very moment,” Mr Adut said.
The artist says it took three sittings and more than four months to paint the incredibly detailed portrait.
“I spent a long time making sure all the scars that he had went in accurately because they all tell a story,” Mr Stathopoulos said.
Archibald Prize People's Choice Award 2016 winning artist Nick Stathopoulos
Archibald Prize People's Choice Award
Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Michael Brand said visitors to the Archibald Prize exhibition were instantly taken by the people's choice winning entry.
“It's always interesting to know what the public feels about art and they love this painting.”
It's the fifth time Mr Stathopoulos has been an Archibald finalist, but 2016 is the first year he's won the people's vote.
"I don't think we give the general public enough credit when it comes to matters of art," Mr Stathopoulos said.
"When it comes to the Archibald Prize People's Choice Award, they seem to get it right every year."
All Archibald Prize finalists will be on display as part of a year-long exhibition touring the country.
Winning team: Deng Adut and Nick Stathopoulos.
