Artist Adoni Astrinakis has been named a finalist in The Lester Prize 2024 for his stunning work, SOLACE, and there’s a beautiful friendship story behind it!
Adoni explained the link to the bestselling novel A Long Way Home (and subsequent film, Lion) by Saroo Brierley. “Saroo (the subject) was raised in Hobart by his adoptive parents. He and I are similar in age and were acquaintances, but not friends. After Saroo’s incredible story was depicted in his book and the success of the subsequent film adaptation, I reached out in the hopes of working together on his portrait.
“What I didn’t expect, however, was that through this process, we would become very dear friends. Our friendship was so unexpected, and yet it was spawned out of such a pure exchange, between painter and sitter. This is the beauty of what art, in its purest form, can achieve: genuine connection. I set out on a personal quest to complete this painting, and yet now Saroo and I are celebrating the success of the portrait together as friends. Life is a wonder.”
The work was created in oils and 24kt gold on canvas and is 1220 x 1520mm. Honouring Saroo’s name, which translates to Lion in his native language, the golden ‘mane’ crowns him, celebrating his triumph, says Adoni.
He adds: “Lost, yet found anew, Saroo sits eyes closed, reflecting on a story of courage and persistence that defies the odds; inviting the viewer to navigate through the peaceful unrest that follows great upheaval.”
Adoni had a very specific direction he wanted to take the portrait. “My intention was to capture Saroo in high contrast, with dynamic light striking his face from the side. This is emblematic of many of my black and white portraits. I find that high contrast lighting adds drama to the composition and allows me to characterise the subject with depth and subtlety. I asked Saroo if he was comfortable with me selecting part of the wardrobe, which in this case was an intricately knitted sweater. He was very happy to lean into my direction and gave me complete artistic license.
“He values the vision of the artist and went out of his way to ensure I could work freely and without obstacle. I was lucky beyond measure that Saroo was so completely understanding of what enables an artist to truly execute on their inspiration.”
Adoni explained he likes to work with his subject ‘live sitting’ in front of him rather than referring to a photograph, as many do. “I don’t draw or sketch any line drawing, nor do I use projectors or grids to help me with scale. I simply put paint on my brush and begin. It’s called a freehand’ approach.
“I’m told it’s quite exciting to watch this process in real time. I often leave the background bare so there’s not much room for error if I get the scale wrong. No guts, no glory!”
The Lester is a major national portrait prize held in WA (formerly known as The Black Swan Portraiture Prize). The winner will be announced Friday 13 September at the WA Museum. The total prize pool is $121,000.
Good luck, Adoni!
