The winner of this year’s People’s Choice Award is Hazel Rae with her work Suits, which stood out as a clear favourite among the 478 votes that were cast. Suits is a painted triptych which reflects on the societal perception of women by reinventing images of housewives from the 1950s. With her characters imagined as playing cards, Hazel injects scenes of domesticity with chance and chaos.
Hazel Rae is currently in her third year of her Fine Arts degree at Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. She will be awarded a prize of $100 for winning our People’s Choice Award. Hazel stated that “having the opportunity to exhibit my paintings alongside such stunning works by women artists of the Waitaha region at the Zonta Ashburton Female Art Awards was an honour.” She also noted that “hearing that the work resonated with the public is a huge compliment, and I am extremely grateful.”
