Portrait of a Lady

New Zealander Daisy Wilkie has been immortalised in oil for Australia’s leading portrait prize. Australian artist Malcolm Smith chose Wilkie as his Archibald Prize subject after meeting her at one of the art classes he hosts in Cronulla, Sydney. Wilkie, 75, was born in NZ and is a descendant of Te Rauparaha. “I’ve always been terribly proud of my heritage; there is something spiritual that ties me to New Zealand,” she says. The AU $35,000 Archibald Prize is Australia’s most prestigious award for portraiture. This year’s Archibald winner will be announced in March.