Marikit Santiago's Sulman Prize-winning painting 'The Divine' on view at AGNSW

Marikit Santiago's 2020 painting 'The Divine' is on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney as part of the exhibition 'And Still I Rise', running until 10 January 2027. The work won the Sir John Sulman Prize in 2020, making Santiago the first woman of Filipina Australian ancestry to receive that award. Santiago, born in 1985 in Melbourne, ignored a lecturer's advice to avoid autobiographical themes. The painting depicts her three young children—Maella Santiago, Santi Mateo Santiago, and Sarita Santiago—with golden halos, referencing Christian iconography. The children contributed pen and paint markings, making it a collaborative piece. Curator Natalie Seiz notes the work explores Santiago's identity as a Filipina Australian woman, mother, and artist, drawing from Catholicism and Western art history. Santiago also won the La Prairie Art Award in 2024 and has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize multiple times. 'The Divine' was donated to the AGNSW collection in 2024 through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.