Three young artists from Moreton Bay College have earned recognition for their creativity and talent in the Next Gen category of the prestigious 2025 Brisbane Portrait Prize, showcasing the strength of student artistry on a city stage.
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Year 12 student Olympia Zavros was named a Finalist for her oil on board work World Where You Live (Do you climb into space?). The self-portrait blends fragments of her passions, from music and astrophysics to Formula 1 and contemporary art, into a richly layered scene set within her bedroom.
“Like many teenagers, my bedroom is my sanctuary. It changes constantly as my interests shift. This painting holds one version of me – for now. It’s about the tension between who we are, who we want to be, and how we’re seen by others,” Olympia explained.
Joining her are Year 9 student Lanie Kemp and Year 10 student Lara Venes, who each received a Highly Commended award for their thoughtful and emotive pieces.
Lanie’s oil on canvas work, Fading Memories, captures the bittersweet nature of recalling family moments. “While the feeling of that day remains strong, I’ve already started to forget the smaller details. Through distorted perspective, I wanted to show how the sharpness of a memory begins to fade, even if its meaning stays. The tiny figures of my parents resting in my hand symbolise both how close the memory feels, and how distant it’s becoming,” Lanie said.
Lara’s graphite pencil self-portrait, Feeling Freedom, depicts a fleeting but profound moment: the wind against her face while leaning out of a car window. “It was during a difficult time in my life, and that simple act reminded me how small moments can bring a sense of peace that cuts through the noise,” Lara reflected.
Judge Christine Clark noted the way the portraits embody “strength in humanity and in seeing the good — in community members, in their own family and in their own sense of self enabling that strength.” The works of Olympia, Lanie, and Lara strongly echo that sentiment, each one telling a deeply personal story while resonating with universal themes of memory, identity, and resilience.
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For the Moreton Bay College community, the recognition in the Next Gen category of Brisbane Portrait Prize is both a celebration of artistic excellence and a testament to the dedication of its young creatives. These achievements not only highlight the students’ skill but also affirm their ability to use art as a language of storytelling and self-discovery.
Published 18-September-2025
