Reported by the Age and SMH
Darren Pryce with his Archibald 100 entry, The Meeting (Photo credit: Simon Cardwell)
Darren Pryce, co-founder of Wise As Stories, is an award-winning illustrator and an innovative artist. His latest contribution to the artscape in Australia is a neo-classical portrait of Brittany Higgins for the Archibald Prize, now in it's 100th year.
Darren's motivation for painting Brittany Higgins was to give voice to women who have been silenced by the patriarchy.
Brittany Higgins made waves in Australian politics this year with the revelation of her rape and subsequent cover-up in the parliament house in 2019. This exposed the toxic workplace culture, power imbalance and victim blaming mentality in politics and government more generally.
Initially pressured into silence, Brittany's revelations in 2021 triggered reviews and reforms in the government and parliament house. The Prime Minister of Australia was forced not only to apologise but to make time to meet with Brittany Higgins - and listen to a women's voice.
'The meeting', as the painting is entitled, became the inspiration for the painting.
"It's an important moment in our history and needs to be documented for posterity", said Darren.
Darren met Brittany Higgins through her partner in early March and flew up to Brisbane for the sitting. In Brittany Higgins he saw "someone young with a lot on her shoulders ... there was strength but there was also vulnerability. I wanted the painting to depict both aspects."
Linda Morris, arts writer for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, profiled Darren's work as part of an article highlighting the lack of representation women, both as sitters and artists, in Archibald's 100 year history, in the process celebrating his choice of subject.
Read Linda Morris's article here.
For further information on this story please contact Darren Pryce on 0406 473 173.