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Darling Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
Tom Christophersen
born Australia 1987
there is no collective noun for rainbows, they are just rainbows 2023
watercolour and synthetic polymer paint on paper
‘This portrait celebrates the work of queer artist, Kim Leutwyler, depicted within a painted projection of one of their own unfinished paintings. Kim’s portraiture practice spotlights queer individuals in the community, documenting and creating a visual archive of who we are as LGBTQIA+ people. I met Kim because we were exhibiting in a group show together and our friendship has developed from there. I admire the balance of chaos and harmony within Kim’s works and I’m so honoured to be able to capture Kim, and their work, within my work, which aims to do many of the same things Kim’s does.’
Tom Christophersen is a queer performer and artist who describes themself ‘as petrified of beautiful things and death as much as they are transfixed by them’. These themes permeate the hyper-realistic, almost surrealistic, portraits they make. Christophersen lives and works on Gadigal Country in Sydney.
© The artist
The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
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