Adam Haddrick wins 2022 National Photographic Portrait Prize Art Handlers Award

Adam Haddrick’s portrait of Indigenous elder Cordy, titled Cordy in the Clouds 2021, was named as winner of the 2022 National Photographic Portrait Prize Art Handlers Award. (© Adam Haddrick.)

The portrait shows indigenous elder, Cordy, whose name means ‘Spirit of the Sunrise’ in the traditional language of the Tjungundji people of far North Queensland, against a background of clouds. Haddrick captured the image when he first encountered Cordy in Charters Towers.  “He shared his story and told me of a visit to India for an archaeology conference where the locals greeted him as a holy man.  I hadn’t seen clouds in the sky for weeks but while taking his portrait they rolled in behind as if on cue,” he said.

The NPPP winner will be announced on 1 July, and will take home $50,000 in prizes: $30,000 cash from the National Portrait Gallery and $20,000 worth of Canon equipment thanks to Imaging Partner Canon Australia.  The Highly Commended winner will receive an EIZO Colour Edge CG2730 Monitor valued at $3,245.   2020 Judges include renowned press photographer, Nick Moir, together with the National Portrait Gallery’s Director of Collection and Exhibitions, Sandra Bruce, and Associate Curator, Rebecca Ray. 

Also announced at the same time was the winner of the 2022 Darling Portrait Prize Art Handler’s Award, Jane Allan, for a portrait of her carer, Warren, titled Weight of the Mind’s Periapt 2021. The $75,000 Darling Portrait Prize was established to honour the legacy of NPG Founding Patron Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG (1921-2015).  2022 judges include NPG Director Karen Quinlan AM together with Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London and Clothilde Bullen, Head of Indigenous Programs at the Art Gallery of Western Australia and Chair of the National Association for the Visual Arts.  The winner will be announced on 24 June.

Ticketing and finalist information is available here.