New chapter for young artists
Marsden artist Nadya Wilson is discovering more about her identity, culture and heritage as the inaugural recipient of the 2024 Robyn Daw Young Visual Artist Scholarship.
The new scholarship program honours former Logan City Council employee, the late Robyn Daw, who led the Creative Industries program from 2012 until the time of her passing in 2022.
Australian-Malaysian Nadya, 23, was selected as this year’s emerging artist in May and received a $7,000 cash scholarship and private mentorship session.
Her winning piece, for all your words my tongue fails to hold, was inspired by her mother’s Javanese ancestry.
Nadya’s work expresses the disconnection she experiences while trying to piece together her bicultural identity.
As part of the scholarship, 8 other shortlisted finalists were invited to participate in a 4-day professional development workshop.
Sherry Ghorbani and Laura Pittam were given special mention for their artistic merit and engagement in the program.
The scholarship is open to all City of Logan residents, aged between 18 to 35 years, who draw upon their cultural heritage to create artwork that is suitable for exhibition in a public gallery.
Robyn’s long-term partner, Ian Friend, and son, Dexter, donated $50,000 over 5 years to fund the scholarship and continue her legacy.
Before her sudden passing in 2022, Robyn worked tirelessly to amplify the work of young multicultural artists in Logan.
‘We felt very strongly that her work wasn’t finished,’ Ian says.
‘The best way to keep her work going was to keep on encouraging young artists, which was what she was engaged with. It’s what she would have wanted. She used to say there was such a diverse body of artists in Logan and she wanted to really enhance this community.
‘This manages to achieve some of what she would have achieved herself – not all of it, but enough to have an impact.’
Applications close on 22 November 2024 at 2 pm. Apply now on the Logan Arts website.
Photo at top: This year’s scholarship finalists with Nadya Wilson (bottom row, second from left).
