Last year,  Alex Seton took home the Grand Prize for The 2020 Sovereign Asian Art Prize – the first Australian artist to be named winner in our 17-year history. One year later, we catch up with Alex to hear about his recent projects, his thoughts on the 2021 shortlist, and any advice he has for artists looking to enter in future.

How has the past year been for you? Are you working on any new projects?

I won a really great art award in Asia about a year ago which was awesome! Because of the nature of my studio practice and my life before COVID-19, I am incredibly lucky that my regular working life involves plenty of isolation and carving with a mask on. Because of the nature of the long-term projects I had on, I ended up having a very productive 2020 in the studio. I think Sydney in particular was quite lucky in regard to the impact of COVID-19 relative to most places in the world and I was able to keep working in my studio.

The lack of external distractions turned out to be a real boon in terms of focus and developing new ideas. In particular, I’ve really enjoyed developing augmented reality sculptures as a new extension of my practice. Not being coy, but I have a few things in the works yet to be announced! I’m very happy to say I had a Platform online show with The Unit Gallery, London which was a direct consequence of winning The Sovereign Asian Art Prize. Our conversations started just after my win.

On his project with Unit London, Alex says:

“Monuments in public spaces should represent our shared communal values, but instead tend to be constrained by the dictates of local and historical political narratives… Over the years I realised there was an undeniable sincerity in [marble] as well, to speak to conditions of the ‘here-and-now’ in a way that couldn’t easily be ignored, and a grew to embrace that in my practice’

Find out more about Alex’s Platform exhibition with Unit London here.

What are your thoughts on this year’s shortlist? Do you have any favourites?

There are a lot of compelling works on the shortlist! I am particularly drawn to the entries of Amol K Patil, Cian Dayrit, Koralegedara Pushpakumara, Rithika Merchant – as well fellow Aussies Zoe Young, Cyrus Tang and Hayley Millar Baker.

After your win in 2020, we noticed a surge in Australian entrants and finalists. Have you noticed any particular trends emerging in the Australian art scene?

That makes me really happy to hear, I think Australian art and artists have a breadth and intensity and such a high standard that they deserve a place on the world stage, particularly as part of Asia. It’s great that the world is waking up to the talent in Australia.

If I could name one trend, there has been a particular intensity in the deconstruction of colonial narratives, a past that Australia is yet to properly reckon with. It’s really great to see Indigenous Australian painting increasingly recognised as the most truly contemporary painting there is.

Is there any advice you’d like to give artists considering entering the 2022 Edition of The Prize?

If you are nominated, don’t hesitate! The reach and the feedback that I got from my own participation has started some really interesting professional conversations.