Gold Coast City Gallery
28 March – 31 May 2015
Gallery 1
Free Entry
Gold Coast City Gallery is pleased to announce Sydney-based artist Owen Leong the winner of the 2015 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award for his self- portrait titled Mudra.
A ‘mudra’ is a spiritual gesture made with the hands and fingers in Hinduism and Buddhism. In this self-portrait the artist, cloaked dramatically in black, reflects on his Chinese heritage and cultural knowledge as he holds his own hands cast in the forms of mudras as a gesture towards healing. In his right hand is held the karana mudra, a powerful gesture for dispelling negative energy, while in his left he holds the gyan mudra, for opening oneself to knowledge.
The winner receives $20,000 prize money and the work is acquired by Gold Coast City Gallery. The exhibition was judged by Melbourne-based curator, writer and Senior Research Fellow at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Natalie King.
‘Since 2002, the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award has become a signature art prize on the art calendar roster and I am delighted to have the honour to shortlist and select a winner for acquisition for the Gold Coast City Gallery Collection. It’s a testament to the prize that previous winners including Polixeni Papapetrou, Darren Sylvester and David Stephenson have re-entered, demonstrating an ongoing engagement with the award and the high calibre of artists’ submissions. I was mesmerised by their work and many other worthy photographers,’ Ms King commented.
Gallery Manager John Walsh agreed that the Award has become a significant and anticipated annual event for the Gallery.
‘The varied and diverse works of the finalists makes for an engaging and challenging exhibition that demonstrates contemporary Australian photographic practice,’ Mr Walsh said
‘This year will also see the launch of the publication Prizing Diversity: The Josephine Ulrick Prizes 1998-2014 which celebrates the photography, literature and poetry prizes that The Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Foundation for the Arts initiated over a decade ago,’ he said.
‘It will pay tribute to the wealth of talent that has been nurtured and applauded over the years.’ Mr Walsh said.
The Gallery acknowledges the support of Mrs Win Schubert and The Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Foundation for the Arts for their ongoing commitment to this award.
The 2015 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award exhibition be on display at Gold Coast City Gallery until 31 May.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
OPENING EVENT AND PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT
Sat 28 Mar, 5.00 for 5.30pm.
RSVP to [email protected]
07 5588 4067
AFTER DARK PROGRAM:
art.music.talks.food
Galleries stay open 5 – 8pm
Program from 6pm
Cash bar
Pre-Glow Thu 9 Apr
Hear from some of the exciting artists and designers working with light and digital technologies including 2015 finalist and inaugural winner David Stephenson and GLOW artists Jason Haggerty and Michael and Richard Candy.
More information about GLOW
Sat 11 April – visit www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/glow
Composing Art Thu 28 May
An evening of art and music inspired by the 2015 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award. Part of the Fiesta de la Musica.
PHOTO FANATICS
Fri 10 Apr | 11 – 4pm
COST $55.00
BOOK 5588 4000
www.theartscentregc.com.au
13 – 18 year olds to work intensively with artists featured in the exhibition.
PHOTOFUN AT THE GALLERY
Sun 12 Apr | 11am – 2pm
FREE drop-in program of art activities for 4 – 12 year olds inspired by works in the 2015 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award.

PRIZING DIVERSITY PUBLIC BOOK LAUNCH I WORDS IN THE GALLERY
Sat 9 May | 3 – 5pm
Official launch of this major new publication followed by readings by winners of the Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize and Poetry Prize 2015. Guest Speakers: Alasdair Foster and Frank Moorhouse and Winners of the 2015 Poetry and Literature Prizes.
FREE event.
Please RSVP to [email protected]
07 5588 4067
