She has only seen the famous cove in photographs, but talented 16-year-old Keilor artist Mary Vlachos is on her way to Gallipoli next month after taking out a major art prize.
Her surrealist painting, which referenced cultural identity and mateship using images of soldiers on a boat, took out the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize for years 9 and 10 students.
Mary’s award-winning work, which took about three months to compile, captured the legendary Anzac spirit that marks Australians’ roles in wars and conflicts from World War 1 to the present day.
Submitted with an accompanying 500-word narrative, the work took Mary into the final group of 44 artists from about 600 applicants who were put through a highly competitive selection process in November last year.
“During the interview, I had to give a five- minute presentation on my composition to war veterans and the other finalists,” she said.
“The rest of the day entailed group activities and exercises to see how each individual student functioned with the other finalists. It was very competitive.”
Having got the nod last month, the Overnewton Anglican Community College student will now join 21 other Victorian students on a study tour to Lemnos, Gallipoli and the Western Front, from March 26 until April 10.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the geography and culture of the areas in which the Anzacs fought and died,” she said.
“My painting depicted soldiers landing in Anzac Cove in Gallipoli. I’m looking forward to seeing the area that up until now I’ve only seen in photographs.”
