Entries for the 2019 Napier Waller Art Prize are now open

In 1913, Mervyn Napier Waller was an emerging Australian watercolourist and artist. He had begun his studies in fine arts in Melbourne three years previously, and had exhibited for the first time at the Victorian Artists' Society in 1915. Like most young men of his generation, Waller volunteered for service in the Australian Imperial Force and by 1916 was serving in France.

Napier Waller’s life was irrevocably changed during the Battle of Bullecourt, where he was gravely wounded in the right arm. His arm was later amputated at the shoulder – a tremendous blow to his artistic ambitions.

However, during his recuperation, he learnt to use his left hand to write and draw. Napier Waller resumed his artistic career in 1918 after being discharged from the AIF. He would exhibit sketches and linocuts after the war, but he is best known for his work in stained glass and mosaic.

Between 1952 and 1958 he designed and completed the mosaics and stained glass windows for the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Each of the fifteen towering glass panels features a figure in the uniform and equipment of the First World War, and personifies one of the quintessential qualities displayed by Australians in war.

The Napier Waller Art Prize was first awarded in 2018. It is the only national art prize that invites entries exclusively from current and former Defence personnel. The Prize aims to promote artistic excellence and nurture the healing potential of art after service, while aiming to raise broader awareness of the military experience and the impact of service individuals. In its inaugural year the Prize received more than 100 entries, of which Rob Douma’s charcoal work Green on blue: The betrayal of trust was the winner.

Current and former members of the Australian Defence Force are encouraged to submit their entries between 29 April and 10 June 2019.

The overall prize includes:

- $10,000 cash prize sponsored by Thales Australia

- A two-week research residency in the Art Section of the Memorial

- A mentoring day with eX de Medici, former official war artist

- Display of the winning work at the Memorial, where it will also be acquired into the National Collection.

A $5,000 People’s Choice prize will also be awarded.

For entry details and more information, visit the Napier Waller Prize website.