Laith McGregor Wins 2024 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award

Laith McGregor Wins 2024 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award

By Ian Rogers

Grafton Regional Gallery is thrilled to announce Laith McGregor as the winner of the prestigious 2024 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA). McGregor secured the $35,000 first prize for his compelling sculptural charcoal drawing, Untitled (support).

Nix Francia, an emerging artist based in Sydney, was also celebrated, receiving the $5,000 Early Career Award for their evocative work Love at Midnight: Blood Edition.

The 2024 JADA was judged by Michelle Newton, Deputy Director at Artspace, Sydney. Newton commended the interdisciplinary approaches many artists took to drawing this year, noting the innovative spirit that challenged conventional ideas of the medium.

“Laith McGregor’s work is a prime example of this. There is something very primary and dynamic in his mark-marking and the way he builds up the surface. His drawing creates an atmosphere charged with emotion, blurring traditional portraiture with abstraction. Similarly, Nix Francia’s work plays with light, texture and bodily materials, drawing on personal narratives to create a sense of intimacy.”

Grafton Regional Gallery Director Sarah Gurich and 2024 JADA Judge Michelle Newton with 2024 JADA winner, Laith McGregor ‘Untitled (support)’, 2024. Photograph: Chloe Van Dorp, Simon Hughes Media.

Laith McGregor, based in the Northern Rivers region, has gained national and international recognition with his works exhibited across Australia, including major institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art (NSW), GOMA (QLD), MONA (TAS), and the National Gallery of Victoria (VIC). McGregor is represented by Station Gallery, with locations in Sydney and Melbourne.

Nix Francia, a recent graduate of the National Art School, explores the complexities of everyday life through a unique lens. Francia was previously a finalist in the 2023 Burwood Art Prize and Blacktown City Art Prize.

The JADA, with its substantial $35,000 acquisitive prize and $5,000 early career award, continues to be Australia’s leading regional drawing prize. It showcases innovative and exceptional drawing practices, reaffirming the importance of the medium in contemporary art. The 2024 exhibition features 65 artists, including 14 from the Northern Rivers and Clarence Valley regions, with works ranging from traditional to experimental and performative approaches.

Grafton Regional Gallery extends its gratitude to the Friends of the Gallery, the major sponsors of the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award.

The 2024 JADA exhibition will be on display at Grafton Regional Gallery until Sunday, 8 December 2024.