STOKED and feeling proud, husband and wife artists from Hyland Park, Jack Hodges and Alejandra Ramirez, have an artwork chosen as a finalist in STILL National Still Life Award 2023.

STILL will exhibit at Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) in Coffs Harbour later in the year.

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“We feel very honoured to be a finalist in STILL and share this exhibition with such a good selection of talented artists, some of whom we know and admire very much,” Jack told News Of The Area.

Telling the story behind their STILL creation, Jack said, “Fish and Chips is a cardboard sculpture of a VHS tape of the same name, that was given to us by Rod from Bellingen Video Connection.

“We have previously made a giant painted cardboard sculpture of a surf video cover and thought the subject would suit the STILL exhibition well.

“It conveys a representation of Australian culture at a particular time, additionally, food as a common subject in still life art.

“The tape caught our attention due to its retro, ridiculous aesthetic, the kind of random objects you find in an op shop or someone’s old garage, that says so much about the culture of a place,” Jack explained.

For STILL 2023 sixty-three artists were selected by an independent panel following an expression of interest that attracted a record 1,143 entries from across Australia, competing for an impressive prize pool of $35,000.

“We had a sensational response to STILL this year,” said Chris Chapman, director of city planning and communities at City of Coffs Harbour.

“To receive upwards of 1,100 entries is a testament to the prestige in which this exhibition is held by artists all around the country.

“The winner of STILL in 2021, Blak Douglas, went on to win the Archibald Prize.

“I can’t wait to see these works on display and see what some of these artists might go on to achieve.”

The STILL exhibition will open later in the year, with the winner to be judged by special guest Max Delany, artistic director and chief executive at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

By Andrea FERRARI