We catch up with KHR Stewart who won the Emerging Artist Award in the 2021 Stanthorpe Art Prize with her work Say hooray if you've had a good day.

What made you decide to enter the Stanthorpe Art Prize in 2020/1?

The prize has a very strong reputation and is well supported, but aside from this my family and I love a Stanthorpe getaway from time to time, drawn by the cold winter climate and landscape around Quart Pot Creek (Quart Pot Cottage is a favourite). Given the affinity with the region, entering the prize with a painting that explores dreamlike escapes seemed a natural fit.

Has winning first prize in the 2021 Stanthorpe Art Prize changed anything in your art life?

Yes, the recognition helps to make all those long and painstaking hours in the studio worth it, knowing that more people have had the chance to see the work, and it fuels the next paintings, which will be shown with a small collection of my other works (including my winning entry from 2021) at New England Regional Art Museum later this year. It will be my first regional gallery solo exhibition which is very exciting.

Did you gain any exposure from being a winner?

Yes, the win has bolstered my CV and as such I have since been recognised elsewhere as a competition finalist in Brisbane and the forthcoming spot at NERAM later in the year.

Where has your work taken you since 2021?

My photorealistic style means it can take around 2 years to complete a single piece, painting part-time, but I completed my follow up to 'Say Hooray If You've Had a Good Day' called 'The Woodlanders' which was a finalist in the 2022 Clayton Utz Art Award in Brisbane, and I am close to finishing the 5th painting in this series 'Dollface' which will be showing at NERAM with the other four in September. 

Do you plan to enter the 2024 Stanthorpe Art Prize?

This year I am collating my most recent works into a solo show that exhibits at the same time as the prize so I will have to target 2026 instead.

See more:

• Instagram: @khrstewart