Telstra NATSIAA People’s Choice Award Winner – Dean Greeno for tunapri milaythina muka, to know Sea Country through making
Dean Greeno a truwulway pakana man of lutruwita (Tasmania) has been announced as the Telstra People’s Choice Award winner, in the 2024 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards Telstra (NATSIAA), presented on Larrakia Country by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) in partnership with Telstra.
With the People’s Choice award receiving an impressive total of 1,167 votes, Dean Greeno secured the majority of the People’s Choice votes. The top three artists were rounded out by Thea Anamara Perkins’ mesmerising painting Return and Mardawi Lakun (Sister Weavers) with their incredible weaving Thukabi, meaning turtle in Ngarrindjeri. Mardawi Lakun is a collaboration between Aunty Ellen Trevorrow, Temeika Campbell, Bessie Rigney, Elizabeth Rankine and Margeret Sumner.
Dean’s artwork is a testament to the memories and teachings passed down through his family and his win reflects the ongoing support and appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in Australia.
The 2024 Telstra NATSIAA exhibition was visited by more than 142,000 people during the exhibition period of seven months.
The Telstra NATSIAA is the longest running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art awards in the country. The Telstra NATSIAA is also proudly the longest running and most prestigious art prize of its kind in Australia.
This year, 72 finalists from across Australia were selected from a total of 230 entries.
Telstra NATSIAA artists share in a total of $190,000 with the prize money for the major Telstra Art Award $100,000 and each of the category awards $15,000.
Quote from Dean Greeno
“Thank you to all the staff, supporters and patrons of the Telstra NATSIAA and MAGNT. I would like to recognise the Larrakia and Larrakia Country. I would like to thank my family, my community and my Country, Sea, Land, and Sky, for building the stoicism, the resilience and fortitude that allowed me to assemble this artwork based on the continued walk of my people to truth telling, treaty and self-determination.
My experience during the Awards will remain with me for the rest of my life. It has been an amazing, immersive and thoroughly rewarding experience as a pakana artist.”
Quote from MAGNT Director Adam Worrall
"Congratulations to Dean Greeno for creating a work that has captured the hearts and minds of our audience. His win reflects his brilliant creativity and stands as a testament to the continuous cultural practices in lutruwita and beyond. Today we celebrate Dean and his achievement, well done!"
For more information, please visit www.natsiaa.com.au.
