Sarah Hickey

Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2024 - Finalist

_{[Image courtesy of the artist]}

Artist Statement

My painted idols are born from a diverse range of vintage images, intertwining histories, contexts, and worlds. Through collage and intricate layering, I explore concepts of beauty, spiritual iconography, and the creation of personal deities. In Head Gardener & Bloom Ranger, I play with culturally embedded, traditional notions of masculinity. The central figure, a bearded gent reminiscent of Ned Kelly, wears a floral headdress of blooming gums. A gentle man, a beautiful bloom ranger, a new Australian Legend.