Two Artists From a Remote Australian Community Reach a Major Portrait Prize

Two artists from a small remote community in Western Australia are bringing their hometown into the spotlight after becoming finalists in one of Australia’s major portrait competitions.

Dwayne Jessell and Troy Drill are both Gija artists from Warmun, a remote community in the Kimberley region. Their self-portraits have been selected as finalists for the 2026 Lester Prize.

Warmun is located about 3,000 kilometres northeast of Perth and around 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin. The community is small, with one shop, a dusty airstrip and a handful of distinctive boab trees.

Now, two artists from the community are represented among the finalists of a prestigious national portrait prize.

Two artists, two different journeys

For Jessell, the recognition is familiar territory. The artist has reached the Lester Prize final for the second time.

Drill, however, is making his debut. He began painting only a few years ago and says the older artists at Warmun Art Centre have played an important role in helping him develop his skills.

Drill describes the art centre as a place where people can learn, work together and spend time with one another.

“It’s just like a little family around here,” he told ABC News.

Learning from generations of artists

Warmun has a long artistic tradition. The community is known for artists who use local ochre and other natural materials to create works connected to the landscape, history and culture of Gija Country.

Jessell has become one of the people helping younger artists learn the craft.

Drill said that when he first arrived at the art centre, he knew very little about painting. Older artists encouraged him to try and offered guidance as he learned.

That relationship between generations is now reflected in the success of the two finalists.

Art connected to country

The self-portraits created by Jessell and Drill have different styles, but both artists draw inspiration from their connection to their community and country.

Jessell’s finalist work is a linoprint, while ochre remains an important material for him, Drill and many other artists working in Warmun.

The artists often work together outdoors despite the intense Kimberley heat, creating paintings that reflect the landscapes and experiences around them.

For Jessell, becoming a finalist is about more than personal recognition.

He became emotional while speaking about the achievement and said he felt proud not only for himself but also for his community and Gija Country.

A moment of pride for Warmun

The success of the two artists means Warmun will be represented by two finalists in this year’s Lester Prize.

The exhibition featuring the 2026 finalists is scheduled to open at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip in Perth on October 10 and run until November 29.

For a remote community far from Australia’s major cultural centres, having two artists selected for the same prestigious portrait competition is a significant moment.

But inside Warmun Art Centre, the focus remains on the process of creating, learning and supporting one another.

Jessell’s experience and Drill’s emerging career show how artistic knowledge can move between generations while remaining deeply connected to place and community.

Their paintings will now travel far beyond Warmun, giving audiences elsewhere in Australia an opportunity to see how two artists interpret themselves, their culture and the country they call home.

Sources: ABC News Australia, The Lester Prize.