FireWorks Gallery is thrilled to share the news that represented artist Pat Hoffie has been awarded the ‘Sylvia Jones Prize for Women Artists’ in the 2022 edition of Brisbane Portrait Prize. She receives the accolade for her portrait of Jennifer Herd, a fellow FireWorks artist, and has titled the work Warrior Woman #1.

Pat Hoffie painted long-time friend and colleague fellow-artist Jennifer Herd as a subject. Pat says her aim was to capture something of Jennifer's indomitable spirit and her uncompromising questioning about the crucial necessity of recognising and celebrating the underlying importance of the long history and heritage of First Nations' culture in this country.

Pat says, ‘the title [of the work] refers not only to Jennifer's success in spearheading the ground-breaking BOVACAIA program at QCA, Griffith University, and her pivotal role in forming and shaping the proppaNOW collective, but also to her own research - a focus that examines and draws from the ongoing resistance of First Nations' peoples, and particularly those of women.”

Congratulations Pat!