For youth artists across Australia, the Lester Prize Youth Awards is no better avenue to demonstrate their talents and immense passion for art. After submissions from over 250 students from years 7-12, the judges from the Lester Prize have whittled down the entries to just 30 finalists. Alongside these 30 finalists were 2 finalists for the Starlight Children’s Foundation Award, with entries stemming from workshops ran in collaboration with the Foundation, introducing children from Perth Children’s Hospital to the creative outlet of portraiture.
The caliber of work this year alongside the number of entries has been extremely impressive, and the finalists will be rewarded for their efforts with a prize pool amounting to $6000. The three categories of Youth Awards (Year 7/8, 9/10, 11/12) will be exhibited from May 2nd to July 20th at the Old Gaol Building, WA Museum Boola Bardip.
Lester Prize Youth Awards 2025 Finalists
Max Audsley, Hopeful prosperity, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80 cm, 2025, Yr 12
Katie Barton, Mask, oil on board, 90 x 60 cm, 2024, Yr 10
Ruby Bieundurry, Tjapanagka, conte on paper, 47 x 34 cm, 2024, Yr 9
Jessie Boog, Summa whumma, acrylic on canvas, 50.5 x 40.5 cm, 2025, Yr 9
Yifan (Happy) Chen, The goddess woman, watercolour on paper, 42 x 29.5 cm, 2024, Yr 9
Zoe Chen, Unidentified, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 20 cm, 2025, Yr 8
Zhiqian Huang, Outrunning my problems, woodcut print on paper, 59 x 59 cm, 2025, Yr 9
Lucy Dunningham, Specimen no: 22, pencil on paper, 12 x 19 cm, 2025, Yr 12
Lottie Ercleve, “Little one, don’t you cry”, coloured pencil on paper, 42 x 50 cm, 2025, Yr 12
Rafael Frietas Salazar, Brother, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 cm, 2024, Yr 8
Isla McGregor, Beneath the surface, lino print and watercolour on paper, 42 x 29.7 cm, 2024, Yr 7
Amy Deng, The girl, pencil on paper, 55 x 38 cm, 2025, Yr 8
Anaia Kakulas, The way forward, pastel, crayon and plaster on wood, 70 x 59 cm, 2024, Yr 11
Beatrix Lee, Lunch in the city, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 cm, 2025, Yr 11
Lucas Liu, My friend Praneeth, acrylic on paper, 42 x 29.7 cm, 2025, Yr 7
Thenumi Hewafonsekage,Self-portrait, charcoal on paper, 30 x 22.5 cm, 2024, Yr 8
Harriet Noske, Tinned identity, oil on board and resin, 90 x 60 cm, 2024, Yr 11
Laura Niu, Uncle Lee , soft pastel with pastel pencils, 60 x 36 cm, 2025, Yr 8
Lilli Mitchell, House of cards, biro pen on card, 42.2 x 59.4 cm, 2024, Yr 11
Bianca Petsos, 9 578545 200531, oil on mdf board, 59 x 59 cm, 2024, Yr 11
Kiara Stofberg, In the fold, oil and thread on canvas, 51 x 50 cm, 2025, Yr 12
Tasha Rogoff, The lioness, acrylic paint on paper and tulle, 42 x 30 cm, 2024, Yr 9
Vanessa Rucci, Alex, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 60 cm, 2024, Yr 9
Emily Zhang, Paper veil, graphite on paper, 37 x 55 cm, 2025, Yr 10
Isla Russo, Nonno, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 cm, 2024, Yr 8
Yutang (Angela) Shao, A rare trip, oil on canvas, 70 x 100 cm, 2025, Yr 11
Ethan Zheng, Dreams between the pages, acrylic on canvas, 59 x 84 cm, 2025, Yr 8
Olivia Ren, Face painting, oil on canvas, 45 x 33 cm, 2024, Yr 11
Qiyan Zhang, Tea time, oil and acrylic on canvas, 102 x 77 cm, 2024, Yr 10
Tian You Zhao, The humans, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 40 cm, 2024, Yr 7
About The Lester Prize
Although the Prize is based in Western Australia, artists from all over the country are invited to enter their portraits for a share of a $130 000 prize pool, shared between two awards (Youth and the main prize) and ten sub-categories. Established in 2007, the Prize privileges the artist over the subject, and champions that portraiture is the most approachable visual art form. The human form is something everyone can relate to, and The Lester Prize keeps this idea at the fore—the finalists allow you to see yourself reflected.
There are extremely limited guidelines in terms of form. Although a human likeness must be the subject, the Prize welcomes the interpretation of ‘portraiture.’
