Elli’s prized portrait

Former ‘Profile Picture’ interviewee Elli Bardas has recently taken out the top prize at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale with a black and white portrait of her aunt.

When Elli last caught up with Southbank Local News in June last year, the now fourth-year Photography Studies College (PSC) art major student provided insight into her passion for artistic portraiture.

Her career has now received a major boost after taking out the inaugural acquisitive $15,000 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize last month for a portrait of her aunt Vicki Vidor OAM.

Unanimously selected by a panel of judges from the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Centre for Contemporary Photography and the Myer Foundation, Elli’s portrait emerged victorious from a field of more than 150 entries.

“The award was totally unexpected,” she said. “There were some really amazing photographers so it was fantastic.”

“There were three judges and it was fantastic to be seen by them. They said it was unanimous, which was fabulous and I ended up speaking to each of them independently and they were very generous.”

“What I really think and what I’m really the most happy about is that when I start putting applications in now my name now has something attached to it so it’s a great start!”

With the subjects of the portraits having to be a significant Australian, Elli’s stunning black and white image of her aunt provided the perfect submission.

Vicki Vidor OAM has supported homeless youth for more than 20 years through her work with the Lighthouse Foundation and she is also the patron of the foundation’s Vicki Vidor Home for Young Mothers and Babies.

“It (the portrait) really captures her and she looks very proud,” Elli said. “She really is a proud and powerful woman and I really feel like it captured her. I was really happy with the finished print.”