Archibald 2025 Packing Room Prize won by Abdul Abdullah for portrait of Jason PhuBy Hannah Story and Nicola HeathABC ArtsTopic:Awards and Prizes3h ago3 hours agoThu 1 May 2025 at 1:22amAbdul Abdullah has won the Archibald's 2025 Packing Room Prize for his painting of Jason Phu, 'No mountain high enough'. (Supplied: GNSW/Jenni Carter)abc.net.au/news/archibald-prize-2025-packing-room-prize-winner-jason-phu/105233628Link copiedShareShare articleAbdul Abdullah has won the Packing Room Prize at this year's Archibald Prize for No mountain high enough, his portrait of Jason Phu.Born in Perth, Abdullah is a multidisciplinary artist who divides his time between Melbourne and Bangkok. He is a seven-time finalist in the Archibald Prize, and one of 57 finalists — from 904 entries — for this year's prize, held annually at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW).Abdul Abdullah has won the Archibald's 2025 Packing Room Prize for his painting of Jason Phu, 'No mountain high enough'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)Abdullah became the youngest-ever finalist in the Archibald in 2011, for a portrait of Waleed Aly. It was the first time the artist had ever visited the AGNSW.Phu — a fellow artist who won the 2015 Sulman Prize — is also a 2025 Archibald finalist, for his painting of Hugo Weaving.Jason Phu's painting of Hugo Weaving, 'older hugo from the future fighting hugo from right now in a swamp and all the frogs and insects and fish and flowers now look on'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)Abdullah said in a video played at the announcement he was "stoked" to have his work recognised by his peers in the AGNSW packing room.The two artists met 10 years ago when Abdullah moved to Sydney."It's kind of a funny meet-cute — I met him at the pub after an art exhibition," Abdullah tells ABC Arts."I didn't know he was an artist. He was just a guy in a dishevelled suit, with his hair up in a bun and a manilla folder with all this stuff falling out."Brothers continue lifelong conversation through artPhoto shows The brothers stand outside a home, laughing and looking relaxed in each other's company. Abdul Abdullah and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah are very different artists who draw inspiration from their shared experience – but when they exhibit together, their work becomes a conversation.The pair quickly became close, with Phu serving as best man at Abdullah's wedding. Abdullah describes Phu as his best friend and says they talk on the phone every day."He's one of the most kind-hearted, generous people that I know. He's almost like … a reluctant hero, so that's how I wanted to portray him," he says.The portrait shows Phu astride a horse, with a rugged mountain landscape in the background. Nine cartoon-like birds, each a different colour, encircle Phu's head."I imagined this wanderer on a horse who's crossed a big desert landscape; he's almost rust-coloured, the same colour as the horse, because of the terrain that he's crossed — and he's not necessarily happy to be there," Abdullah says.It took Abdullah a month to complete the portrait. He began with sketches of Phu's face and hands and modelled the horse from digital collages he constructed from images he bought online.More than half the finalists are portraits of artists or self-portraits. Abdullah says, as a rule, artists make good subjects."They're more tolerant of how they're depicted; there's not a specific expectation."AGNSW curator Beatrice Gralton says: "I think artists turn to their own community and each other for humour, for pathos, and there's a trust there."Natasha Walsh's portrait of Atong Atem, 'The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)Jump to the full list of Archibald finalistsWhat is the Packing Room Prize?Since 1991, the Packing Room Prize, worth $3,000, has been chosen by the Art Gallery of NSW staff who handle the portraits in the gallery's packing room.Past winners of the Packing Room Prize include portraits of musician Baker Boy, late comedian Cal Wilson and filmmaker Taika Waititi. No artist who has won the Packing Room Prize has ever gone on to win the Archibald Prize.Alexis Wildman, senior installation officer and member of the Art Gallery's Packing Room team, says the judges were instantly drawn to Abdullah's portrait of Phu."Both are accomplished artists whose works have a distinct style and engage with complex social and cultural themes using wit and cartoonish references. The team holds great respect for the way both Abdul and Jason have progressed in their careers."On a technical level, this portrait is very well painted. It really captures the essence of the subject with the image of a lone ranger, an intrepid jokester or a quiet hero navigating the rocky terrain of today's social climate."Who are the finalists for the Archibald Prize?Twenty-one of the 57 finalists for this year's Archibald Prize are finalists for the first time. Two of this year's entrants — Natasha Bieniek and Tsering Hannaford — have been finalists 11 times.Six past Archibald winners are in the running to win again this year: Peter Wegner, Vincent Namatjira, Yvette Coppersmith, Mitch Cairns, Fiona Lowry and Marcus Wills.Vincent Namatjira's self-portrait, ‘King Dingo’. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)2025 is the first year since 2022 where male artists have outnumbered women artists, with 30 men to 28 women, even though two-thirds of art school graduates are women or non-binary, according to the 2022 Countess Report.This year marks the highest number of First Nations Archibald finalists (6): Namatjira, Kaylene Whiskey, Adrian Jangala Robertson, JESWRI, Robert Fielding and Billy Bain. They bring the number of First Nations artists in the prize's 104-year history to a total of 37.More than half (34) of the portraits are of either fellow artists or one of 12 self-portraits, including paintings of Cressida Campbell, Atong Atem and Chris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa), who is a finalist for the first time in almost 20 years.Linda Gold's portrait of Neale Daniher, 'Still standing and fighting'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)A number of finalists were also the subjects of other artists' paintings including Phu, Robertson (painted by Clara Adolphs) and Natasha Walsh (painted by Jonathan Dalton).Other recognisable faces among this year's sitters include 2025 Australian of the Year Neale Daniher, activist Grace Tame; comedian Aaron Chen, sisters Antonia and Nicole Kidman; actors Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto and Felix Cameron (Boy Swallows Universe); ABC News Breakfast host Bridget Brennan; and Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis. They're joined by musicians including William Barton, Katie Noonan and triple j presenter Nooky.Of the 59 people painted across the 57 finalist works, 31 are women and 28 are men, 12 are First Nations, and 15 are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.Finalists for the Archibald Prize are chosen by the board of trustees of the AGNSW, including artists Tony Albert and Caroline Rothwell.Jaq Grantford's portrait of Antonia and Nicole Kidman, 'Sisters'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)The Wynne and Sulman prizesThe finalists for the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or figure sculpture, and the $40,000 Sulman Prize for a genre or subject painting or mural were also announced on Thursday. This year's Sulman is judged by artist Elizabeth Pulie.Robert Fielding, an artist of Pakistani, Afghan, Western Arrente and Yankunytjatjara descent, is up for all three prizes. Two more First Nations artists — Billy Bain and Vincent Namatjira — are finalists in both the Archibald and the Wynne.Other finalists in both prizes are Natasha Bieniek — who won the Wynne in 2015 — Vipoo Srivilasa and Natasha Walsh. Former Archibald winner Mitch Cairns is also up for the Sulman, while Michael Snape is up for both the Wynne and the Sulman.Studio A artist Thom Roberts — a finalist in last year's Archibald, and a subject of one of this year's finalists — is a Sulman finalist, alongside artists including Zaachariaha Fielding, one half of Australia's 2024 Eurovision entry, Electric Fields.Dean Cross, Betty Muffler and Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, who was also painted for this year's prize, are among the finalists for the Wynne Prize.For the first time this year, of the 139 finalists across the three prizes, women outnumber men, 72 to 67.Evan Shipard's portrait of Costa Georgiadis, 'The green man'. (Supplied: AGNSW/Jenni Carter)Archibald finalists 2025Abdul Abdullah for 'No mountain high enough'. Sitter: Jason PhuClara Adolphs for 'Adrian Jangala Robertson (paintbrush and hat)'. Sitter: Adrian Jangala RobertsonJessica Ashton for 'Katie Noonan'. Sitter: Katie NoonanMostafa Azimitabar for 'The definition of hope'. Sitter: Grace TameBilly Bain for 'Rona and Pig at Palm Valley'. Sitter: Rona Panangka RubuntjaNatasha Bieniek for 'Cressida Campbell'. Sitter: Cressida CampbellAngela Brennan for 'Bridget in my painting'. Sitter: Bridget BrennanYuriyal Bridgeman for 'Sana Balai, curator, visits Yuriyal's studio'. Sitter: Sana BalaiMitch Cairns for 'Stephen Ralph'. Sitter: Stephen RalphMathew Calandra for 'His face like my face — self-portrait as Robert Englund playing Freddy Krueger'. Sitter: Mathew CalandraPeter Ke Heng Chen for 'I'm a little fish in New York (ripples of ambition)'. Sitter: Aaron ChenRachel Coad for 'Home'. Sitter: Ken LeungYvette Coppersmith for 'Self-portrait with two cats'. Sitter: Yvette CoppersmithLuke Cornish and Christophe Domergue for 'Blood, sweat and tears'. Sitter: Yvonne WeldonJonathan Dalton for 'Natasha in the other room'. Sitter: Natasha WalshWhitney Duan for 'Banquet (Rainbow Chan)'. Sitter: Chun Yin Rainbow Chan 陳雋然Jeremy Eden for 'Felix Cameron'. Sitter: Felix CameronRemy Faint for 'Ramesh (with mask)'. Sitter: Ramesh Mario NithiyendranDavid Fairbairn for 'Head of BF no 2'. Sitter: Bruce FrenchTimothy Ferguson for 'Keiran'. Sitter: Keiran GordonRobert Fielding for 'Malatja malatja (into the future)'. Sitter: Arnold DoddJulie Fragar for 'Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)'. Sitter: Justene WilliamsLinda Gold for 'Still standing and fighting'. Sitter: Neale DaniherJaq Grantford for 'Sisters'. Sitter: Antonia Kidman and Nicole KidmanYolande Gray for 'I won't wish, I will'. Sitter: Pippin DrysdaleTsering Hannaford for 'Meditation on time (a left-handed self-portrait)'. Sitter: Tsering HannafordJESWRI for 'Nooky, The Voice'. Sitter: Corey "Nooky" WebsterBrittany Jones for 'New Madonna'. Sitter: Brittany JonesSolomon Kammer for 'Kim'. Sitter: Kim LeutwylerMadeleine Kelly for 'Diana through threads'. Sitter: Diana Wood ConroyDaniel Kim for 'Thom Roberts'. Sitter: Thom RobertsBronte Leighton-Dore for 'Monica in her studio'. Sitter: Monica Rani RudharRichard Lewer for 'You are only as good as your last painting'. Sitter: Richard LewerFiona Lowry for 'Ken Done'. Sitter: Ken DoneCol Mac for 'Miranda and Prince'. Sitter: Miranda OttoCatherine McGuiness for 'Shan is a little little little mermaid'. Sitter: Shan Turner-CarrollKerry McInnis for 'Savanhdary'. Sitter: Savanhdary VongpoothornKelly Maree for 'Jackie O'. Sitter: Jackie OVincent Namatjira for 'King Dingo'. Sitter: Vincent NamatjiraChris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa) for 'Self-portrait with nose tube'. Sitter: Chris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa)Sassy Park for 'Casey'. Sitter: Casey ChenSid Pattni for 'Self-portrait (the act of putting it back together)'. Sitter: Sid PattniMeagan Pelham for 'Magic Nikki and Charlie Fancy Pants party … DJaaaaaaaay'. Sitter: Charlie Villas and Nikita Majajas (aka Chakita)Jason Phu for 'older hugo from the future fighting hugo from right now in a swamp and all the frogs and insects and fish and flowers now look on'. Sitter: Hugo WeavingAdrian Jangala Robertson for 'Warwick Thornton'. Sitter: Warwick ThorntonJoan Ross for 'Kidjerikidjeri'. Sitter: Coby EdgarSally Ryan for 'Lette Loose'. Sitter: Kathy LetteEvan Shipard for 'The green man'. Sitter: Costa GeorgiadisLoribelle Spirovski for 'Finger painting of William Barton'. Sitter: William BartonVipoo Srivilasa for 'Self-portrait as a cat'. Sitter: Vipoo SrivilasaClare Thackway for 'With the shadow'. Sitter: Clare ThackwayNatasha Walsh for 'The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick'. Sitter: Atong AtemPeter Wegner for 'Portrait of Sue Chrysanthou'. Sitter: Sue ChrysanthouKaylene Whiskey for 'From comic to canvas'. Sitter: Kaylene WhiskeyMarcus Wills for 'Cormac in Arcadia'. Sitter: Cormac WrightCallum Worsfold for 'Self-portrait in the studio'. Sitter: Callum WorsfoldLucila Zentner for 'Wendy in the gallery'. Sitter: Wendy SharpeThe Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2025 exhibition runs from May 10 to August 17 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Winners will be announced on Friday May 9.Posted 3h ago3 hours agoThu 1 May 2025 at 1:22am, updated 13m ago13 minutes agoThu 1 May 2025 at 4:11amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesDutton hints at Coalition campaign failure as polls show Albanese majority in sightTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows Peter Dutton election shadowsJacinta Nampijinpa Price contradicts Peter Dutton, asserting Coalition will end school 'indoctrination'Topic:Public SchoolsPhoto shows Jacinta Price speaks while Dutton stands behind her listening. 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