The Blake Prize is widely respected for attracting artists from a diverse range of backgrounds and ages. Finalists range from leading contemporary practitioners to emerging and self-taught artists. This year there were 769 entries from artists hailing from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Norway, United States and United Kingdom and from every Australian state and territory.

80 finalists, ranging from leading contemporary art practitioners to emerging and self-taught artists have been selected for final judging and exhibition. This year there were 769 entries from artists hailing from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Norway, United States and United Kingdom and from every Australian state and territory.

Congratulations to Tina Havelock Stevens, winner of the $35,000 Blake Prize; Pamela Leung, winner of the $6,000 Blake Emerging Artist Prize; and Tracey Clement, winner of the Blake Established Artist Residency.

Click here to see The 65th Blake Prize Catalogue

The 2018 Finalists

Belinda Allen | Uri Auerbach | Maree Azzopardi | Tiyan Baker | Hayley Millar Baker | Karen Bloomfield | Jules Boag | Lisa Bowen | Daniel Butterworth | Louis Cagalj | Laura Carthew | Thomas C. Chung | Tracey Clement | Matthew Couper | Adam Cusack | Sam Doctor | Nyinta Donald | John A Douglas | Blak Douglas | Mikala Dwyer | Yvonne East | Jackson Farley | Madeline Fountain | Ben Fuog | Donna Gough | Craig Green | Tim Gregory | Amala Groom | Patrick Hall | Sue Healey | Doug Heslop | Hobart Hughes | Sean Hutton | Mehwish Iqbal | Anna Jacobson | Leah Jeffries | Rus Kitchin | Alex Latham | Rosalind Lemoh | Leon Lester | Pamela Leung | Wade Marynowksy | Martin George and Raphaella Mazzone | Teena McCarthy | Chi Chi Menendez | Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa | Nasim Nasr | Alexandra Nemaric | Catherine ODonnell | Becc Ország | Philjames | Rodney Pople | Deborah Prior | Rebekah Pryor | Clache Raong | Leslie Rice | Tobias Richardson | Dasha Riley | Khaled Sabsabi | Jeramie Scahill | Greg Semu | Aemmon Sheehan | Gary Smith | Shane Smithers | Paul Snell | Tina Havelock Stevens | Jacqui Stockdale | Zara Sullivan | Linda Syddick | Cyrus Tang | Jonathan Rose and Annette Thas | Floria Tosca | Mark Tweedie | Brenda Walsh | Greg Warburton | Lachlan Warner | Vanessa White | Sarah Woodward | Kayo Yokoyama

Since 2016 Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC) has conducted The Blake Prize as a bi-annual event, ensuring the future of this landmark prize. CPAC will maintain the guiding principles of The Blake Prize, continuing to engage contemporary artists, both nationally and internationally, in conversations concerning faith, spirituality, religion, hope, humanity, social justice, belief and non – belief. The Blake Prize presents an aesthetic means of exploring the wider experience of spirituality and all this may entail through the visionary imagining of contemporary artists.

The Blake Prize takes its name from William Blake, an artist of undoubted genius, who succeeded in integrating the religious and artistic in his work. The prize aims to encourage contemporary artists of varied styles, religious and spiritual allegiances to create significant works of art which engage in conversations and negotiations concerning spirituality and religion.

CPAC is committed to local, national and global communities, artists and audiences. It is located in Liverpool, an area in which communities from over 150 birthplaces, speaking over 140 languages with an equally diverse range of religious backgrounds, call home. This vibrant site is reflected in the centre as stories, ideas, art forms and philosophies fuse to celebrate cultural diversity. Furthermore, CPAC is committed to evolving the creative industries of South West Sydney as it supports emerging and established artists from numerous disciplines to create work which reflects its diverse community.

Three prizes are selected by the judges for the best contemporary art work that addresses the religious or spiritual. The Blake Prize is a non-acquisitive prize of $35,000, The Blake Emerging Artist Prize is an acquisitive prize of $6,000 and The Blake Established Artist Residency consisting of a residency and solo exhibition hosted by CPAC. All prizes are strictly non-sectarian. Entries are not restricted to works related to any faith or artistic style. All artworks entered must have a recognisable exploration of faith, spirituality, religion, hope, humanity, social justice, belief and/or non-belief.

Image Gallery: Featuring finalists from The 65th Blake Prize (2018).

Image credits: Alex Latham, I put my feet on the Archbishop of Sydney’s bed, 2017, Stickers & cardboard crucifix box | Chris O'Doherty aka Reg Mombassa, Stations of the Cross No.10  - Australian Jesus stripped bare, 2016, charcoal, coloured pencils and glitter | Jacqui Stockdale, The Offering, 2017, Type C photograph | Pamela Leung, SORRY I NO UNDERSTAND, 2018, neon | Winner of The 65th Blake Prize: Tina Havelock Stevens, Giant Rock, 2017, Video still-photo Daniel S Perry and courtesy, copyright of the artist | Winner of the 2018 Blake Established Artist Award: Tracey Clement, Metropolis Experiment, 2017, Sculpture mild steel, salt, laboratory glass, cotton.