Ryan Presley with his winning Telstra Art Award painting, Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed (2026), oil on canvas. Photo: Charlie Bliss.
Every year, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards transform Garramilla/Darwin into one of Australia’s most important cultural gathering places.
Chosen from 64 finalists, Presley’s conceptual bent is an unsurprising choice by the judges, artists Julie Gough (a Trawlwoolway woman from Lutruwita), Yhonnie Scarce (Kokatha and Nukunu peoples, based in Naarm) and Warraba Weatherall (Kamilaroi man based in Meanjin). They described his work as holding viewers in ‘affective contemplation’.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
