07 November 2025
On Tuesday 28 November Archibald Prize finalist Tsering Hannaford attended our Young Archies Portraiture Group to share her journey to national acclaim as a realist Painter.
Those who attended our 2025 SALA exhibition ‘Capturing Connections’ earlier this year will recall Tserings paintings ‘Julia and Protea’ and ‘Magnolia 2’, which captured those who stood before these artworks with a profound reverence and awe. We thank Headmaster Mr Browning for joining us to share in the joy of this eagerly-awaited and truly special presentation. Students were able to pose thoughtful questions to Tsering, and in return gained valuable insight into both her life and artistic practice. In addition, students had the opportunity to show Tsering their portraiture progress, which is timely as their portraits are nearing completion in preparation for submission to the 2026 Young Archie Competition. Tsering offered tailored, insightful feedback and guidance to help refine their compositions.
Nathan Wai, Year 7 – ‘I learned that Tsering Hannaford dropped out of Art School, because she only liked realism. Her father is renowned Australian artist Robert Hannaford. So, she learned from him and is otherwise self-taught.’
Shreyan Golla, Year 5 – ‘I didn’t know that she was an eleven-time Archibald Prize Finalist. This shows that she doesn’t give up. She painted this year’s Archibald Prize portrait ‘Meditation on time (a left-handed self-portrait)’ with her left arm, and it still got into the final. It’s really inspiring.’
James Bissett, Year 10 – ‘Tsering said she liked my work. I also appreciated seeing her progress, from her first ever portrait when she was young to her most recent portrait this year. She has been able to come so far with her passion.’
We extend our sincere gratitude to Tsering for her time, grace and generosity. We have learnt so much, and she will continue to be an inspiration to us all.
Rosalynde Skewes
Senior School Teacher, Coordinator of the Young Archies Portraiture Group
