New South Wales artist Sophie Cape has won Tasmania’s prestigious Hadley’s Art Prize for 2025, taking home $100,000 for her portrayal of Australian flood-ravaged landscape.
Cape’s winning work ‘Thunder shifts the shivering sands’ was selected from 29 finalists by a panel of expert judges including artist Naomi Hobson, curator Caine Chennatt and Tasmanian artist Catherine Woo.
The piece was created in Southern NSW following the devastating 2024 floods and landslides, using materials collected from the disaster zone including soil, rust and debris.
“Winning the Hadley’s Art Prize is a lifeline for me and my practice,” Cape said.
“I created Thunder shifts the shivering sands in the landscape after the floods in Southern NSW last year, exposing it to the chaos of the elements and working with soil, rust and debris, materials transformed by water and weather.”
The judging panel praised Cape’s work as “a strong embodied, site-responsive, and honest record of environmental upheaval, of land torn by flood and landslide.”
Cape, a first-time finalist in the competition, turned to art after injuries ended her professional athletic career.
Her artistic practice focuses on the raw forces of nature and often involves immersing herself physically in landscapes.
The annual acquisitive prize, one of Australia’s most lucrative art awards, is awarded to the most outstanding portrayal of the Australian landscape.
Queensland artist Denise Lamby was awarded the $10,000 Hadley’s Residency Prize, while Honourable Mentions went to Tasmanian artists Sara Maher, Valerie Sparks and Philip Wolfhagen.
Hadley’s Art Prize curator Amy Jackett said the competition “brings a rich and diverse range of artworks together, many of which we wouldn’t otherwise get to experience in Tasmania”.
“One of the highlights for me is meeting the artists and having them meet one another. I’m excited that this year most of the finalists are coming down to be part of the opening celebrations,” she said.
The Finalists Exhibition is open at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart from August 29 to September 21, with artist talks scheduled for this Saturday.
