old high school student became 2026 Portrait Artist of the Year
Seventeen-year-old Jasmine 'Jazz' Lancaster Merton has won Australia's Portrait Artist of the Year competition. Despite being the youngest and least experienced contestant, her artistic skill earned her a commission to paint actor Justine Clarke for the National Portrait Gallery.
Why it matters
The story highlights the success of a young artist in a national competition, showcasing the cultural value of portraiture and youth achievement in the arts.
Jazz Lancaster Merton won the opportunity to paint a portrait of Justine Clarke, to hang in the National Portrait Gallery. ( Supplied: ABC TV )
Link copied Share Share article Jasmine "Jazz" Lancaster Merton was meant to be on year 12 camp.
But instead, the 17-year-old rolled up to a warehouse in Sydney, armed with boxes of coloured pencils and a growing sense of trepidation.
Along with 53 others, Jazz had submitted a self-portrait and then been selected to compete for the title of Australia's Portrait Artist of the Year.
"I caught wind pretty immediately that I was going to be the youngest one there," the North Sydney teen says with a laugh.
"And from that, definitely the least experienced in anything."
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