Cape York, Kokoberrin homelands have inspired artist Lisa Michl Ko-manggén OAM the artist's win in the First Nations category of the prestigious Blacktown City Art Prize.
Having showcased the region's creativity and allowed emerging and established visual artists to exhibit their work for nearly 30 years, the Blacktown City Art Prize received 471 artworks from across Australia.
The winning artwork, Sour Yam, was one of 74 finalists works chosen by an esteemed judging panel to comprise the 2025 Blacktown City Art Prize exhibition.
The artwork is inspired by the Kokoberrin People, a freshwater community residing along the Nassau and Staaten Rivers in Cape York, who are renowned for deep connection to the surrounding waterways and landscape.
The 2025 judges, Jasmine Sarin, Morgan Hogg and Luke Létourneau, were impressed with the standard of this year's entries and recognised that this exhibition would be "a true reflection of the vibrancy and potential of our local arts community. The finalists are selected to demonstrate a remarkable range of technical skill and storytelling ability."
Ko-manggén is exceptionally proud of her work, which she says is a culmination of 24 years of painting and life as an artist.
"My Kokoberrin ancestry, our lifestyle and culture inspire my artworks. From a very young age, these stories were handed down to me while spending time in the country with my senior elders. For me, art is creative expression, allowing me to share and document our Kokoberrin clan group stories for future generations," she said.
The Art Prize opening event began with Erin Wilkins's Welcome to Country before announcing the winners and high commendations of five award categories: Main Prize, First Nations Artist Prize, Local Artist Prize, and Early-Career Artist winners.
The exhibition can be viewed at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre until Friday March 28, with all exhibited works available for purchase.
The Blacktown City Art Prize is presented by Blacktown Arts and supported by Blacktown City Council and the NSW Government through Create NSW. Ford Land Company and Workers Lifestyle Group proudly sponsor the 2025 Blacktown City Art Prize.
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