Julie Frager has been awarded the $100,000 Archibald Prize for her depiction of her friend and fellow artist Justene Williams titled Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene).
Fragar – who has been an Archibald finalist four times – shares with ABC Arts that it feels “extremely significant” to become the 13th female winner of the prize since its inception 104 years ago, particularly this year when
the first woman director
— Maud Page — was appointed to lead the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW).
"To own a portrait of my dear friend and to have a new female leader at the head of this amazing organization — everything seems to have come together in such a wonderful manner," Fragar states.
At the ceremony held at AGNSW, accepting the award, she mentioned that she depicted Williams—her associate from Queensland College of Art—not just due to their close friendship, but also because Williams is an exceptional artist.
"Justene burst out of the gates from art school in the 1990s around the same time and place as me, from the Sydney College of the Arts," Fragar says.
"[She] quickly became one of the central figures in the Sydney art scene for her hectic photographs, videos, performances and, later on, installation, sculptures and even operas. I made this painting because I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artwork that seems always to be exploding from her."
Fragar aims for the portrait to convey his friend's "uniqueness" and "ethereal quality."
Although deeply engaged with her surroundings, Justene appears to constantly gaze past them, linking herself to concepts that transcend our individual existence, whatever those might be.
Williams caught sight of the completed portrait for the first time at the Archibald unveiling.
"I really feel like it includes me, my work… and I'm thrilled that my daughter is part of it too," she explains.
Julie has put in tremendous effort, and I believe she's an exceptional artist… It truly was her moment.
The Archibald Prize is evaluated by the AGNSW's Board of Trustees, which includes artists.
Tony Albert
And Caroline Rothwell. Fragar's portrait was selected by unanimous decision this morning.
Fragar was among the 57 finalists selected from 904 submissions for this year’s award, which takes place every year at the AGNSW.
Other nominees for this year's award featured depictions of
The 2025 Australian of the Year recipient is Neale Daniher.
, rapper and Triple J host Nooky, author Kathy Lette, broadcaster Jackie O, and actor
Hugo Weaving
.
Last week, Abdul Abdullah
won the Packing Room Prize
for his portrait of fellow artist and Archibald finalist Jason Phu.
The winner of the $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting or figure sculpture was also announced on Friday: Jude Rae for her painting, Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal. The Sydney-based artist has previously been a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes.
The winner of the $40,000 Sulman Prize for a genre or subject painting or mural was also announced: Blue Mountains-based young artist Gene A'Hern for his painting Sky Painting. This year's Sulman was judged by artist Elizabeth Pulie.
Artists painting artists
Fragar has long wanted to win the Archibald Prize, first becoming a finalist with a self-portrait, (with American artist Chuck Close) 25 years ago. She describes the prize as a "beacon" she's headed towards throughout her career.
That painting, like her Archibald-winning portrait of Williams, was large-scale, at 278x183 centimetres (her 2025 entry is a little smaller, at 240x180.4cm).
She reflects on her younger self with some surprise, noting that having the confidence to undertake such a large-scale painting at that age was quite remarkable.
I believed that once I entered the Archibald Prize, everything would go smoothly from hereon out. However, life proved to be more complex.
If I had won the Archibald Prize in my 20s, I'm not sure I would have fully valued all the subsequent efforts that went into it.
The overwhelming trend among the finalists in the Archibald Prize was towards paintings of artists, with 22 paintings of fellow artists and 12 self-portraits, including paintings of Cressida Campbell, Atong Atem and Chris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa).
Across her four entries into the Archibald, Fragar has painted artists three times: Williams, Indigenous artist Richard Bell and her 2000 self-portrait.
According to Fragar, a self-portrait typically serves as "an act of introspection".
"If you choose a fellow artist who you know very well, there are feelings involved. There's a relationship that happens as the painting gets built that's very satisfying. I think that energy comes out in the work."
Beatrice Gralton, curator of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition, says: "I think artists turn to their own community and each other for humour, for pathos, and there's a trust there."
Fragar mentions that several of her key friendships are with fellow artists—particularly those who also teach, similar to herself and Williams. At the Queensland College of Art, Fragar serves as the head of painting, whereas Williams is the head of sculpture.
In her artist statement, Frager mentioned that the term "Flagship Mother" originated from a recent endurance performance piece executed by Williams in New Zealand.
She noted that it revolved around the effort of merely surviving," she penned. "For Justene, akin to numerous female artists, this involves the exertion of a regular employment… creating artwork under strict timelines, as well as the work (and passion) involved in raising children.
Fragar informs ABC Arts how gratifying it is to split the award with another female who is equally an artist and educator, as numerous artists throughout Australia often hold secondary positions.
A
recent study from RMIT
discovered that 45 percent of artists were also engaged in the wider visual arts sector, while 36 percent worked outside the industry altogether.
Meanwhile, arts education faces a significant challenge, with 40 creative arts programs being phased out at Australian universities from 2018 through 2025.
"It’s difficult for all universities and the arts sector,” Fragar states. “However, artists are resilient, and those keen on teaching art also show resilience, and we continue to make things work.”
The
The Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes Exhibition for 2025
takes place from May 10 to August 17 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
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