Emma Buswell Wins Ramsay Art Prize People's Choice Award 2025
Emma Buswell, a Western Australian artist celebrated for her colorful tapestries and knitted creations, won the People's Choice Award at the 2025 Ramsay Art Prize, held at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Her artwork cleverly revises cultural icons, such as the Coles roast chicken and comments from former Premier Mark McGowan, to engage with themes of power and absurdity in contemporary Australia. Buswell's latest piece, 'The Pool,' is a large tapestry inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, highlighting modern narcissism. Notably, she utilizes a Singer Memo-matic 321 knitting machine and has been involved in prominent art residencies and exhibitions.
Key facts
- Emma Buswell won the 2025 Ramsay Art Prize People's Choice Award.
- The award was presented at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
- Buswell creates large-scale tapestries and knitted works.
- Her work references kitsch Australian cultural moments like Coles roast chicken 'bachelor's handbags'.
- She produced a limited edition of jumpers featuring Mark McGowan's COVID-era kebab comment.
- Her tapestry 'The Pool' draws on Ovid's Narcissus and Echo myth.
- She uses a Singer Memo-matic 321 knitting machine from the 1960s.
- Buswell was a resident at Fondazione Antonio Ratti in 2011.
- She participated in the Australia Council Venice Biennale program in 2015.
- She was featured in the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial at John Curtin Gallery in 2024.
- Her work is in the State Collection of Western Australia, Artbank, and City of Joondalup.
- She has had solo exhibitions across Western Australia and Victoria.
- She is represented by Ava Gallery in Boorloo/Perth.
Entities
Artists
- Emma Buswell
Institutions
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Ramsay Art Prize
- Fondazione Antonio Ratti
- Australia Council for the Arts
- Venice Biennale
- Indian Ocean Craft Triennial
- John Curtin Gallery
- State Collection of Western Australia
- Artbank
- City of Joondalup
- Ava Gallery
- Coles
- Singer
Locations
- Western Australia
- Australia
- Boorloo
- Perth
- South Australia
- Venice
- Italy
- Victoria