2023 Mosman Art Prize winner

The 2023 Mosman Art Prize - Australia's oldest and most recognised local government art award has been awarded to Sydney-based artist David Griggs. This work is from a series of paintings entitled Baseline, and the other works from this series are currently on display at GAG Projects, Adelaide. Of this series, David says: “Most recently my process is to make detailed paintings, before disrupting them with a more gestural application, to try to wash away the mechanisms we have as painters”.

Originating from a difficult medical experience, Griggs has approached this difficult subject matter with his characteristic honesty to create a painting that is chaotic and gestural, but ultimately touches on the vulnerability of our humanity.

Griggs has won the $50,000 acquisitive prize for The stitches and the melanoma, 2023

Of the work, Griggs says: "A free flowing emotional process to exile past worries into a positive flesh-like visual that examines an experience with skin cancer."

Eight times Archibald Prize finalist, artist David Griggs creates vibrant, energetic paintings that exhume the raw undercurrents of a society and human conditions. Griggs is known for his bold anarchistic approach, drawing on personal experience, political imagery, popular culture and local crime histories. Often revealing the social hierarchies and underground culture of Manila, Philippines where he resided for 10 years. His major survey exhibition, BETWEEN NATURE AND SIN has been touring Australia from 2017-19.

Griggs was presented with the first prize of $50,000 by 2023 judge and artist Fiona Lowry at the exhibition opening on the evening of Friday 22 September at Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney.

Further awards presented on the night included the Margaret Olley Commendation Award ($6,000) given to Huseyin Sami (Sydney), the Allan Gamble Award (for built environment) valued at $3,500 won by Lewis Ihnatko (Sydney), and the Guy Warren Emerging Artist Award, $2,000 presented to Heath Nock (Sydney).