The announcement was made at the National Art Glass Gallery on May 4, with the Prize Exhibition, officially launched by 2014 winner Sarah Humphrey.

Rose-Mary Faulkner graduated from the Australian National University School of Art with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Glass) with honours in 2016. Her current work investigates methods to map and record the female figure.

By layering abstracted photographic imagery and employing the unique qualities of glass, Rose-Mary explores and analyses the form and surface of the body.

“My current work presents a study of my own body from the restricted, subjective line of sight we have of ourselves, aiming to map the female figure through abstracted and layered photographic imagery in order to analyse form and surface. I investigate ways to observe and experience the body, expressed visually through soft dappled imagery, evocative of feeling and sensation,” Ms Faulkner says of Continuum, 

“I transfer photography to glass with water and heat, combining several related images before further manipulating the surface. Continuum presents a mapping of my form – its shape, folds and colours – and its delicacy is enhanced with a skin-like surface and sensation.”

The winning piece will now be acquired for Wagga Wagga Art Gallery’s National Art Glass Collection. Ms Faulkner will receive a fully paid residency at Scotland’s North Lands Creative Glass, one of the world’s most prestigious centres for the study and development of glass art. The Friends of the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery also provided a $4000 prize to assist Ms Faulkner in this residency.

The prize was judged by two of Australia’s most respected experts, glass artist Bethany Wheeler and industry specialist Suzanne Brett who also awarded Highly Commended certificates to two other entries; Clare Peters for her fused glass work, Hope Upheld, and Namdoo Kim for his set of nine core-cast pieces, Expendable Being. Both Highly Commended artists will also receive $1000 provided by the Wollundry Too Art Group.