Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer has been awarded the prestigious Archibald Prize for his life-sized portrait of senior artist and ngangkari (traditional healer) Iluwanti Ken.

Though Ken is small in stature, Lewer’s portrait of her carries what the artist himself describes as a “quiet authority” – an ability to command a space with a sense of calm attentiveness.

It is perhaps the way Ken is brought forward by the bright yellow ochre background that gives the work its greatest sense of presence and vitality.

Late last year, Lewer travelled to Amata in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands so he could spend time at Ken’s art centre, Tjala Arts. It was during this time Lewer gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities Ken carries in maintaining continuity and care of culture.

Ken’s own work, which is informed by walawuru tjukurpa (story of the eagles), speaks of such care. She is well known for her large-scale ink drawings, which feature graphic depictions of mother eagles hunting.

Lewer’s portrait seems to depict a moment in which Ken has briefly stepped away from her work. Yet the small flecks of paint on her left arm suggest the ongoing labour of carrying and caring for the stories of her father’s Country, an attentiveness that persists whether in the studio or........

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