A ceramic document of the life of an artist over several days lets viewers pick up the pieces and turn them over - the very definition of an interactive artwork.
And it's just one example of the almost endless possibilities when it comes to drawing.
The work, Me, when, I, by Canberra artist Alexander Sarsfield, has picked up two gongs at the M16 Drawing Prize, with judges praising its unusual take on the medium.
M16 director, Kirrily Jordan, said the work, which consisted of decals of drawings on ceramic pieces, had an interactive nature that made it beautiful.
"You can pick it up and turn it over, so you can see all the fine detail," she said.
Sarsfield won the main prize - a non-acquisitive cash award of $10,000 - and the Local Artist Award.
Artist Hannah Quinlivan, one of the judges of the awards announced on November 25, said the winning entries not only reflected the artists' technical skill, "but also resonate with the contemporary dialogue on drawing, showing how drawing can embrace a wide variety of practices including 2D, 3D and works on screen".
Jenny Herbert-Smith won the runner-up award with her artwork Through the quarries with a hop, skip and jump, a sculptural steel drawing.
The work is composed of two freestanding parts which can create multiple configurations - the artwork referencing parallels to the improvisation of jazz musicians.
Sydney artist Todd Fuller won the inaugural Digital Drawing Prize with his artwork No use crying over ripped lace.
It's an animated retelling of a 2017 incident where three of Sydney's drag stars - Ivy League, Coco Jumbo and Vybe - intervened in a gay-bashing and saved the life of victim Ivan Finn.
And it's not only established artists who can impress with their interpretation of the medium; Oliver Houghton, 17, from Yass, won the senior award in the youth category for Isiah 43:1, "Hypocrisy".
Oliver said his digital piece was created last year when he was a student at Melba Copland Secondary College for an assignment to address a contemporary political issue.
The work, about the relationship between young queer people and the Catholic Church, depicts a brightly coloured face standing out against a background of stained glass and hands with a plaintive message spelled out.
"It personifies the sense of guilt they may be feeling."
Muruwarri woman Virginia Keft from Figtree, NSW won the inaugural First Nations Drawing Prize with her artwork The morning after, composed of 3D woven forms in which she repurposed voting material used by Australians to decide the fate of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, turning the paper into Country.
Eleven of the 30 finalists were from the ACT, out of 240 people who entered from around Australia.
Visitors to the exhibition can now vote in the People's Choice Award until the exhibition closes on December 10.
The M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2023 is on at M16 until December 10, 2023. See: m16artspace.com.au.
SpringOUT Festival
Canberra's month-long pride festival celebrating Australia's most LGBTQIA+ friendly city its LGBTQIA+ community in all its fabulous diversity is nearing the end for 2023.
Among the upcoming events are:
Capturing Queer Voices: this is a free literary event shining a spotlight on the contributions made by Queer writers from Canberra and across Australia.
Panellists will share how they authentically capture the voices of LGBTQIA+ Australians through their works of fiction. Jo Falvey is MC alongside panel members Freya Maske, Nigel Featherstone, Helena Fox and Honni van Rijswijk. After the panel discussion and book signing, readers and writers can connect over a glass of wine.
It's on at the Book Cow, 47 Jardine Street, Kingston on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 6pm. See: springout.com.au.
World AIDS Day: At the AIDS Garden of Reflection in the National Arboretum Canberra on Friday, December 1, 2023, from 8am to 10pm is a free event celebrating the progress made in response to HIV in terms of research, care, treatment and prevention providing hope for the future.
The national World AIDS Day theme for Australia in 2023 is "Inclusion. Respect. Equity." See: springout.com.au.
Xylouris White
Xylouris White - drummer Jim White and George Xylouris, a self-taught lutenist - are performing on the back of their new album The Forest In Me at The Street Theatre on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 7.30pm.
Xylouris White will be supported by Darren "D.C" Cross. See: thestreet.org.au.
Vinyl Lounge Number Ones
For the final Vinyl Lounge of 2023, celebrate Number Ones. Bring your favourite chart-topping records, share your music stories and hear what's spinning on the turntables. Dress-up is encouraged.
Tickets $5. It's on in the Theatrette, National Film and Sound Archive.
On Friday December 1, 2023 at 5.30pm. See: tickets.nfsa.gov.au.
