In the centenary year of the Archibald Prize, The Art Gallery of New South Wales has announced that Kathrin Longhurst has won this year’s Packing Room Prize for her striking portrait of iconic Australian singer Kate Ceberano.

Kate By Kathrin Longhurst

Longhurst’s painting is one of 52 finalists named for the 2021 Archibald Prize, which is celebrating its 100th year, have first been awarded in 1921. This year saw 2144 entries, with 938 entries for the Archibald, 546 entries for the Sulman Prize, and 660 entries for the Wynne Prize. This is the second highest number of entries, with 2020 receiving 2565 entries across the four prizes (including the Young Archibald Prize).

“I first spoke to Kate in early 2020 about collaborating on a portrait. She had seen my work at the home of mutual friends and asked if I was interested in painting her next album cover because she liked the way I portray women as strong and powerful,” said Longhurst. “I painted her larger than life, looking fiercer and stronger than ever before.”

This is not the first time the German-Australian artist’s work has...