Prix ​​Archibald 2022: Jeremy Eden’s portrait of actor Samuel Johnson wins the audience award | Archibald Prize 2022

A portrait of Australian actor and cancer charity campaigner Samuel Johnson by Jeremy Eden has won the 2022 Archibald People’s Choice Award.

Sydney-based artist Eden first met Johnson via video in 2021 while the actor was recovering from a near-fatal car crash. Eden then flew to Melbourne for a live session with Johnson, before returning to Sydney where he painted for up to six hours a day for 10 weeks to complete the portrait.

The men bonded over their shared experience of losing close family members to cancer. Johnson, who founded the cancer research charity Love Your Sister with her late sister Connie before her death in 2017, encouraged Eden to include her own story in the painting; the portrait shows Johnson holding a photo of Eden’s mother, Annette, who died of cancer in 2008.

Eden, who takes home a $5,000 prize, said it was “an honor”.

“This painting is the one I’ve been thinking about and wanting to do for 10 years,” he said. “Sam is a storyteller at heart, and it was really important to find a way to share my own story while capturing Sam’s character and emotion in the portrait.

“It’s inspiring to see what Sam and the team at Love Your Sister have achieved, having raised so much money for cancer research. I’ve followed Sam’s journey with the charity for many years and it’s a privilege to be able to contribute in my own way.It’s amazing to be a finalist for the Archibald Prize, but knowing that the painting resonated with so many people makes the experience even more meaningful.

Love Your Sister has raised over $15 million to support cancer research. In 2016, Johnson was awarded the Order of Australia Medal, for his service to cancer research and the performing arts.

Johnson called Eden “exceptionally talented”.

“He is an extraordinary storyteller, he has a big heart and fully deserves this recognition. To win the Archibald Prize, you have to satisfy a select group of people who really know their craft. Winning the People’s Choice requires the votes of all those who see the exhibit. People talked and they liked Jeremy the most,” he said.

“Wow and phwoar. I’m stupidly happy for Jeremy. A well-deserved triumph.

Maud Page, deputy director and director of collections at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, said the portrait was a clear favorite among visitors to the annual Archibald exhibition.

“We congratulate Jeremy Eden for capturing the hearts of our visitors with his powerful portrayal of Samuel Johnson,” Page said.

Born in Sydney in 1988, Eden graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queensland College of Art in 2015. He was also nominated for the Archibald Prize in 2021, for his portrayal of fellow actor Firass Dirani.

First awarded in 1988, the People’s Choice category was voted on this year by more than 35,000 people, the highest number of votes ever recorded in the category’s history.

In May, renowned Dhungatti artist Blak Douglas won the $100,000 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens, titled Moby Dickens, making him the second Indigenous Australian winner in 101 years, following Vincent Namatjira in 2020 .

And Claus Stangl’s portrait of filmmaker Taika Waititi won the Wrapping Room award, which is judged by gallery staff who hang the works each year.