OrangARTan Competition 2022 Winners Announced!

‘Wildlife and their habitat in Sumatra and Borneo’

With our theme this year, we hoped we’d see some biodiversity among the artwork. Well, we were astounded. There was so much effort and care put into the artworks, the detail, the habitats, and the sheer number of different species. We’re so proud of all of you and thank you for being part of our competition in our third year. 

A HUGE thank you to the outstanding support our judges gave us again this year, as they've done for the past three years. Thank you so much to Ben Pearmain, Eggpicnic (Chris and Camila), and Emma Quay. We are so grateful for their support and considered approach to the judging, and for their generous donations towards the prizes. Artists who were awarded a First, Second or Third Prize will receive prizes such as books, orangutan toys, adoptions, stickers and beautiful artwork. All shortlited artists will receive a certificate congratulating them on their achievements.

A massive thank you also to our amazing volunteers, who are so vital to making the OrangARTan Competition run smoothly. They've been diligent, dedicated and so supportive again this year. Thank you to each and every one of them for making this competition such a success!

Without further ado, here are the winners across the three age categories!

Age 4 to 6 Award Winners

First Prize: Archie Stone

We loved the hope, energy and colour in this beautiful landscape, as well as the detail of the many species, the dynamic movement, the fruit in the trees, and the rainbow as a symbol of hope. 

Second Prize: Maylze Goy

We loved the bursts of colour and the sheer diversity in this picture, down to the small flowers and the many species; there are so many little surprises every time you look at it and it really shows the lushness of the forest.

Third Prize: Zoëya Rojubally

We love the balance and connections between the elephants in this picture, the clever way the artist has used two handprints to create the shapes of the elephants, and especially the way there is a younger and older elephant holding trunks in the middle of the image.

Age 4 to 6 Special Mentions (see the top row of images at the bottom of the page):

• Jasper Mouldey
• Dexter Meah
• Hélène Devreux

Age 7 to 9 Award Winners

First Prize: Juliana Calo

We loved the unique techniques in this picture - especially the texture in the background, the detailed lushness of the rainforest, the orangutan's fur, the tiny bird and other small details - and the astonishing eyes that peer straight at you.

Second Prize: Isabel Tran

We loved the powerful drawing in this scene, the artist's strong, energetic techniques, and especially the look on the tiger's face - it's heartbreaking and rendered with strong detail as the tiger runs away from fire, a very real threat in the forest.

Third Prize: Carlo Augusto Marletto

We loved the care and attention with the tiger's stripes, the simplicity that is also powerful, and the symbolism in this collage, which is a difficult medium to do well - the artist has done a great job with the textures and colours!

Age 7 to 9 Special Mentions (see the images in the second row at the bottom of the page):

• Lorrienne Morrissey
• Adina Faizal
• Roni Sadler

Age 10 to 12 Award Winners

First Prize: Cooper Iles

We loved the striking shapes that twist around and echo the shapes of the orangutans, as well as the simplicity of the colours - it takes a lot of courage and strong skills to achieve something this powerful with minimal colours.

Second Prize: Theo Dillion

We loved the sense of space and the wonderful depth of field and perspective the artist has achieved, as well as the intricate details of the three key species that make this picture come alive - especially the sense of movement of the orangutans in the trees.

Third Prize: Georgia Morris

We loved the gorgeous colour, the simple structure, and the angle of the hornbill, looking back at us - it's a difficult angle to draw and the artist shows confidence and great technique in relying just on three key elements.

Age 10 to 12 Special Mentions (see the images in the third row at the bottom of the page):

• Xander Portkiewicz
• Oslo Peterson
• Pax Hall

School Award Winners

Congratulations to our three school winners, selected for the volume of shortlisted artworks in their age category:

• Age 4 to 6: Camberwell Primary School, who contributed a beautiful series of collages - we were bowled over by the creativity, colour and beautiful backgrounds their artists created across all age groups!
• Age 7 to 9: Corpus Christi Catholic College, who sent in a wide range of diverse species and habitats all rendered with careful attention to detail in pencil and other mediums.
• Age 10 to 12: Bayside Christian College, who sent us a wide diversity of styles, colours, species and environments, including a range of fine pencil drawings that were subtle and beautiful.

Below you can see cropped (square) versions of:

1. Special Mentions in the 4 to 6 age category: Jasper Mouldey, Dexter Meah, Hélène Devreux
2. Special Mentions in the 7 to 9 age category: Roni Sadler, Adina Faizal, Lorrienne Morrissey
3. Special Mentions in the 10 to 12 age category: Oslo Peterson, Xander Portkiewicz, Pax Hall
4. The three award-winning schools: 4 to 6 / 7 to 9 / 10 to 12