Artist Snapshots
Helen Eager
Dobell Australian Biennial 2024: Helen Eager, Vortex Solo, 2024 (animation still)
Dobell Australian Biennial 2024: Helen Eager, Vortex fifteen, 2023-2024, coloured pencil on paper
#21 Dobell Drawing Prize Finalist: Helen Eager, Prototypes 2017-18, colour pencil on paper, Courtesy the artist.
a painter and printmaker known for her luminous abstract works exploring colour, light and geometric form
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Over a career spanning more than three decades, Helen Eager’s practice has evolved from domestic interiors toward pure abstraction, with a sustained focus on colour and spatial relationships.
Eager studied at the South Australian School of Art and later completed a Masters degree at COFA, where she developed her large-scale works on paper. A residency at Greene Street Studio in New York in 1988 marked a pivotal shift in her practice toward abstraction.
Her work is held in major Australian public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia and National Gallery of Victoria.
Personal comment from the artist:
“Drawing is for me a fundamental part of my work and to see it recognised in an exhibition at the AGNSW has fostered an awareness, not only of the medium, but the many artists who use it everyday.
To be selected for the Dobell Drawing Biennial at the AGNSW gave me the opportunity to widen my horizons, to think more expansively. It was an opportunity to personally challenge the limits of drawing in my work.
It also presented the opportunity to have my work seen in the company of other artists who were pushing their own boundaries in an exhibition at the AGNSW, curated by a curator who had always championed drawing in all its dimensions.
To subsequently have work from that exhibition enter the AGNSW permanent collection was an extraordinary culmination to a process not possible without the support and advocacy of the Dobell Foundation, and I am truly grateful for the wonderful opportunity I was given.
The name Dobell is a conscious reminder that being an artist is not straightforward. Dobell's artistic journey was not smooth, but he persisted and his work remains a lasting legacy. Some would say the art world was not kind, or fair, to Dobell , but nevertheless, or perhaps because of this he left his estate to generously support artists.
The Dobell Drawing Prize and the Dobell Drawing Biennial Exhibition are two examples of how Dobell’s legacy has directly affected artists.”
Helen Eager was selected for the 2024 Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial, Infinite. She has been a finalist of the Dobell Drawing Prize.
Euan Macleod
Dobell Drawing Prize Winner 2021, Euan Macleod, Borderlands – Between NSW and QLD, 2020, pastel on paper, 156 x 120 cm
known for his expressive paintings and drawings that explore landscape and the human condition
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Euan Macleod is a New Zealand-born artist who has lived and worked in Australia since 1981. Widely regarded as one of Australia and New Zealand's leading contemporary artists, he has held more than one hundred solo exhibitions and exhibited extensively throughout Australasia and internationally.
Macleod's paintings and drawings are known for their expressive imagery, exploring themes of landscape, memory, identity and human experience. Drawing inspiration from both the natural environment and personal history, his work combines powerful symbolism with a deeply physical engagement with place.
His work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among numerous accolades, Macleod has won the Archibald Prize, Sulman Prize, Blake Prize and the Dobell Drawing Prize.
Personal comment from the artist:
“Whenever I go anywhere I take paper and crayons and if I get a few moments and something takes my fancy I draw what’s around me. I never took them that seriously and no one really saw them. During COVID I did a series based around the NSW/Queensland border which at the time was policed due to the virus. The drawings seemed to make sense as a group so I took the plunge and entered what I felt was a meaningful selection framed together in the Dobell Prize.
Winning is, of course, was very special. I hadn’t seen drawing as a strong part of what I do and I tended to devalue drawing as inferior to painting and of having little use in the way I worked. In retrospect I’ve realised these ‘studies’ keep me rooted in looking, observing, even just being in the world. This fed into the paintings, keeping them fresher and bringing in particular elements …. objects, weather events, colours that I may not otherwise have noticed or paid much attention to if I hadn’t been trying to draw whatever was in front of me.
It is not unusual for me to now work directly from a drawing I’ve done although it’s still not the main aim of why I do them. I still just love the immediacy and discovery and freedom to explore just what’s in front of me and how that is translated onto a piece of paper.
Euan Macleod won the Dobell Drawing Prize in 2021.
Rosemary Lee
Dobell Drawing Prize Winner 2025, Rosemary Lee, 24-1, 2024, pencil on paper, 156 x 120 cm
an artist whose intricately detailed drawings explore observation, process and the expressive potential of mark-making
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Working primarily in coloured pencil, graphite and charcoal, Rosemary Lee’s practice is underpinned by a deep commitment to drawing as both a discipline and a language. She is interested in the tension between precision and instinct, and in the capacity of drawing to hold immediacy, vulnerability and complexity within a single image.
A graduate of the National Art School, Lee was awarded the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize in 2025 for 24–1 (2024). She has also received the Megalo Residency, the William Fletcher Grant for Drawing, the Clyde & Co Art Award and an ADFAS Residency, and has been a finalist in numerous major Australian art prizes.
Personal comment from the artist:
“The Dobell Foundation has had a great impact on my artistic career. With funds from the Foundation, I was able to cut down a number of hours at my job as a receptionist. I used to spend most of my waking hours booking appointments. Now, I spend most of my time creating art, thanks to the Foundation. I was also able to buy a new laptop, a better car, and I was able to travel to Korea to learn Minhwa painting and gather inspiration for an upcoming exhibition. Thanks a million!”
Rosemary Lee won the #24 Dobell Drawing Prize.
Catherine O’Donnell
Time-lapse video showing artist Catherine O’Donnell assisted by Naomi McCarthy drawing Inhabited space for Close to home: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2016, Music by Mark Taylor 2016, Violin performed by Hannah Cook Edwards
known for her detailed drawings of suburban architecture that explore memory, identity and the notion of home
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Catherine O'Donnell is an Australian artist whose drawing practice explores the architecture, history and culture of suburban life. Focusing on houses and streetscapes, her works examine the notion of home and the ways familiar environments become embedded in our memories.
Through carefully observed drawings of vernacular architecture, O'Donnell reveals the beauty and complexity of ordinary urban landscapes. Her uninhabited buildings invite viewers to bring their own experiences and narratives to the work, creating connections between place, memory and identity.
O'Donnell has presented solo exhibitions at Carriageworks, the National Art School, Penrith Regional Gallery, Murray Art Museum Albury and Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, among others. Her work is held in major public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Parliament House Art Collection, Artbank, Museum of Brisbane and numerous regional galleries throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Personal comment from the artist:
“Being selected for the Dobell Drawing Prize, and the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the AGNSW, was a career highlight and has had a significant impact on my practice, strengthening both my visibility and my confidence as an artist. The sustained commitment of the Dobell Foundation to supporting drawing is vital to the arts community, ensuring that the discipline continues to evolve, gain recognition, and remain central to contemporary art discourse.”
Catherine O'Donnell was a finalist in the 2016 Dobell Biennial at AGNSW and a Finalist in the 2019 and 2021 Dobell Drawing Prizes, as well as Guest Judge for the 2023 Dobell Drawing Prize.
Dobell Biennial 2016 at AGNSW: Catherine O’Donnell, Inhabited Space, 2015-2016, charcoal on three sheets of paper, charcoal wall drawing
Dobell Drawing Finalist 2021 : Catherine O”Donnell, Beyond the curtain beats a loving heart, 2020, charcoal on paper, diptych, each 100 × 34cm unframed, 107 × 50cm framed, pine wooden coloured frame.
Detail from Inhabited Space 2015- 2016
Danie Mellor
Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial Finalist 2021, Danie Mellor, A time of the world’s making 2019 (detail) © Danie Mellor
Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial Finalist 2021, Danie Mellor, A landspace: bala ngunyiny [the tableau, bala jarrga] 2020 on display at the AGNSW
a multidisciplinary practice exploring cultural memory, landscape and the enduring legacies of Australia’s colonial history
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Danie Mellor is a contemporary artist based in Bowral, New South Wales. Drawing on his Aboriginal, Scottish and Irish heritage, his multidisciplinary practice spans drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and installation, exploring the intersections of history, culture, memory and landscape.
Mellor is one of Australia's leading contemporary artists, with work held in major national and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Gallery of Canada, The British Museum and National Museums Scotland. His achievements include the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (2009), major commissions and acquisitions, and leadership roles with the Australia Council for the Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Create NSW.
Personal comment from the artist:
“The Dobell Art Foundation plays a vital role in supporting drawing as a fundamental pillar of artistic practice.
I am privileged to have participated in the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the AGNSW and to have had my work selected for the Dobell Drawing Prize exhibitions.
These opportunities have enabled me to present my work more widely and to pursue ambitious ideas that may not otherwise have been realised. Such support plays a vital part in sustaining and elevating the practice of drawing in contemporary Australian art.”
Danie Mellor was selected for the 2021 Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Mary Tonkin
Finalist in the Inaugral 2014 Dobell Bienniall at the AGNSW, Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14, 180.0 x 1405.0 cm overall (26 sheets)
Winner: Dobell Prize for Drawing 2002, Mary Tonkin, Rocky Outcrop, Werribee Gorge, charcoal, collaged patches of paper with corrections on ten joined sheets of Velin Arches paper, 225 x 460 cm (sheet overall)
a landscape painter whose work captures the intricate detail and changing rhythms of the Australian landscape
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Mary Tonkin is a landscape painter who works en plein air in the fern-rich bush of Corhanwarrabul / Dandenong Ranges, east of Naarm / Melbourne. Working from her family's rare bulb farm at Kalorama, she creates large-scale paintings and drawings that emerge through sustained observation of the landscape and its changing conditions.
Her practice explores what it means to be present in nature over time. Responding directly to shifting light, seasons and weather, Tonkin's paintings convey both the physical immediacy of the bush and the memories, sensations and emotional connections it inspires.
Tonkin completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and Master of Fine Arts at Monash University, where she has also lectured. Since 1999, she has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally. Her work is held in major public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.
Personal comment from the artist:
“The Dobell Drawing Prize honours the most profound and foundational aspect of an artist’s practice - the drawing; the act of exploring and questioning, making visceral sense of being in the world.
To have that fundamental aspect of my practice valued was a huge boost to my fledgling confidence - then a 29 year old MFA student. It was particularly moving and important to me that the prize was judged via an in-person viewing of the work, by a respected peer (the late Jan Senbergs) - there is no higher honour nor more appropriate judge.
In concrete terms, the Dobell Drawing Prize (then $10,000) was half of the money to build a simple off grid studio in which I could live and work. That capacity to live simply and cheaply enabled me to move to a full time practice shortly after.
The Sir William Dobell Art Foundation plays an important role championing and supporting drawing education and excellence, its ongoing belief and investment in drawing is precious and much needed.”
Mary Tonkin won the 2002 Dobell Prize for Drawing at the AGNSW and was a finalist in the inaugural Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial in 2014 at AGNSW.
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of MDetail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Detail of Mary Tonkins, "Between Two Logs, Kalorama", 2013-14
Todd Fuller
#42 Dobell Drawing Prize Finalist: Todd Fuller, Twilight Bark, 2023, single-channel animation, HD, colour, sound
#42 Dobell Drawing Prize Finalist: Todd Fuller, Twilight Bark, 2023, single-channel animation, HD, colour, sound
#24 Dobell Drawing Prize Finalist: Todd Fuller, Twilight Bark, 2023, single-channel animation, HD, colour, sound
a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans drawing, animation, sculpture, performance and painting
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For more than fifteen years, Todd Fuller has developed hand-drawn animations and narrative works exploring themes of love, loss, place, identity and queer histories. A graduate of the National Art School, he has undertaken residencies across Australia and internationally including at Bundanon, the British School at Rome and the Cité Internationale des Arts.
Fuller has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally. His work is held in public and private collections including Artbank, the State Library of New South Wales and the Museum of Brisbane.
Personal comment from the artist:
“The Dobell Foundation is a rare and unrivalled advocate for drawing. Drawing, despite its ever-expanding definitions and applications, remains a fundamental way that artists think, learn, grow, and communicate ideas, yet it is still too often undervalued.
Through workshops, talks, exhibitions, and touring programs across the country, I have witnessed firsthand the Foundation’s commitment to championing the talent, ingenuity, and gravitas of contemporary Australian drawing. I have also seen the impact of these programs delivered to teachers and school communities across NSW, fostering stronger arts education and encouraging the development of drawing practice across Australia. Here, the insights of leading Australian drawers are directly fed to regional teachers and students with an instantly visible impact.
The Foundation has also supported numerous experimental, innovative and thoughtful exhibitions throughout NSW, enabling curators to deliver ambitious projects to their communities that otherwise would not be possible. Again, this is rare and essential philanthropy and advocacy.
The Dobell Foundation is an extraordinary supporter of artists, makers, educators, and curators, creating vital platforms to celebrate Australian drawing while opening meaningful opportunities for artists, curators, and audiences nationwide.”
Todd Fuller was a finalist in the #24 Dobell Drawing Prize. He has designed teaching programs for the Dobell Regional Teachers Workshop and received curatorial funding through the Dobell Exhibition Grant for the Souter’s Bondi exhibition.
Margaret Ambridge
Dobell Drawing Prize Finalist 2022, Margaret Ambridge, The longest sleep, 2022, Charcoal and Indian ink on drafting film | 840mm x 670mm (WxH)
uses drawing, photography and installation to explore the intimate, overlooked and often unspoken aspects of human experience
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Margaret Ambridge is an Adelaide-based artist working across drawing, installation, photography and video. Her practice combines a deep interest in humanity with the power of visual storytelling, using art to foster connection and open conversations around subjects that are often overlooked or avoided.
Through her work, Ambridge explores the complexities of ageing, relationships, identity, care and social expectations. Addressing both personal and universal experiences, she creates works that invite reflection, empathy and dialogue, engaging audiences with the emotional realities of everyday life.
A finalist in numerous major Australian art prizes, Ambridge has received significant recognition for her work, including the 2025 Adelaide Parklands Art Prize, the 2020 Pro Hart Outback Art Prize and the 2023 and 2025 Dobell Drawing Prize People's Choice Awards. Her work is held in public and private collections in Australia and internationally.
Personal comment from the artist:
“My primary practice is drawing. To have three very different, some say demanding, works exploring the human condition accepted for the Dobell Drawing Prize over the years is such a rare privilege and wonderful recognition of my artwork.
For many years I have struggled with drawing’s place in my art practice. To me there always seems to be an external pressure suggesting that drawing is a pathway to something ‘bigger’ like a painting or a sculpture. The longevity and gravitas of the Dobell demands that drawing be seen as the final work in its own right.
It’s been a long journey from drawing at the kitchen table as a child with my mother, who was an artist in her own right.”
Margaret Ambridge has been a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize three times (2021, 2023 and 2025). She won the People's Choice Award in both 2023 and 2025.
People’s Choice Winner, Dobell Drawing Prize 2023, Margaret Ambridge, The wedding party | Charcoal on dressmaking tissue | Size variable, 2023
2025 People Choice’s Winner, Dobell Drawing Prize, Margaret Ambridge, Cheek by jowl, 2025, Charcoal and raindrop on paper | 2180mm x 1680mm
Tony Costa
Dobell Drawing Prize 1999, Tony Costa, Giacomina, compressed charcoal on paper, 56 x 76 cm
known for his expressive landscapes and portraits
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Tony Costa is a Sydney-based painter whose practice spans landscape and portraiture. Trained at the Julian Ashton Art School and under Hungarian artist Desiderius Orban, Costa has developed a distinctive visual language characterised by expressive colour, distortion and emotional intensity.
A respected figure in Australian contemporary painting, Costa won the Archibald Prize in 2019 for his portrait of artist Lindy Lee and has been a finalist in numerous major art prizes, including the Archibald, Wynne, Sulman and Dobell Drawing Prizes. His work is held in public, corporate and private collections throughout Australia.
Personal comment from the artist:
“Artists are largely invisible in the landscape and having your work exhibited in any prize makes the invisible artist visible.
Every artist wants to have their work exhibited and art prizes are a wonderfull platform. In my own practice drawing is the foundation of everything I do, so to have a prize which celebrates drawing is exciting and affirming.
It also offered me the opportunity to see the work of other artists working in a contemporary context.
In Australia prizes offer an opportunity to express our egalitarian spirit which makes up much of the Australian character.
Through art and literature we create a civilisation. Art really matters.”
Tony Costa was a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize in 1999, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Tony Costa Mimmi, compressed charcoal on paper, 105 x 75.5 cm, Dobell Drawing Prize 2008
Tony Costa, Portrait/Study for Greg Hansell, compressed charcoal on paper, 113 x 77 cm, Dobell Drawing Prize 2004, AGNSW
Tony Costa, Heritage huts Garie, Royal National Park, compressed charcoal on paper, 152.5 x 112 cm, Dobell Drawing Prize 2012 AGNSW