Portrait of the artist: Gus Eagleton’s tribute to Fintan Magee takes out top gong at Brisbane Portrait Prize
Internationally renowned street artist Fintan Magee is the subject of the top-winning artwork at this year’s Brisbane Portrait Prize.
What sort of paint would you use to depict a street artist? Aerosol, of course, with some acrylic. Combining both, Brisbane artist Gus Eagleton has won the Brisbane Portrait Prize 2025 with a portrait titled, In the Studio With Fintan Magee.
At the awards night at the State Library of Queensland, Eagleton took out the highly coveted $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Prize, describing the win as “an incredible honour”.
“I’ve always been a portrait fan, and I’m a long-standing Brisbane artist, so the prize has always been something I’ve wanted to do,” Eagleton says. “Being an artist can be very tough, but it’s times like these that allow you to take a breath and continue on and know that you’re on the right track.
“Since my first encounter with Fintan 15 years ago, I realised you could make a career and make a future out of painting large-scale – in the streets, in public – and that’s what I’ve done.”
Fintan Magee grew up in Brisbane and is globally recognised for his large-scale murals in cities including London, Vienna, Miami, Buenos Aires, Rome and Moscow. Eagleton first met Magee in Brisbane in 2010, back when Eagleton was studying fine art and painting graffiti.
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“We were heading out to paint an abandoned building when I asked him what he did for work,” Eagleton recalls. “He said, ‘What do you mean? I do this. I paint murals and make art.’ That moment stuck with me. I hadn’t truly considered that painting could be more than a bit of fun, it could be a career.”
‘Eagleton’s portrait of Fintan Magee is exceptionally accomplished, conceptually and technically’
In the painting, Magee is depicted twice in a studio setting, capturing two distinct aspects of his artistic identity. One figure is confident, present and proud of the work he is creating. The second sits slumped on the couch, unsure and contemplative. The colour palette is deliberately muted yet richly painted, drawing focus to Magee himself.
Chief judge of this year’s prize, Art Gallery of South Australia director Jason Smith, says Eagleton’s portrait of Fintan Magee is exceptionally accomplished, conceptually and technically.
“The composition is testing – it pushes its subject to the very edge of the canvas, indeed beyond the picture plane, yet it is beautifully balanced,” Smith says. “It is an unusual double portrait of the same subject, and its literal merging of the body to suggest only three legs instead of four is a captivating and intriguing anchor to the picture.
“Eagleton’s virtuoso painting of an everyday interior is the stage for a carefully and touchingly observed portrait of a friend, and what I imagine to be an essence of Magee’s character and nature emanates from the canvas and gives this work a special visual power and subtle energy.”
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The other winners are: Marion Rodgers – Digital Prize; David Bongiorno – Performing Arts and Music Award; Rebecca Davis – Sylvia Jones Prize for Women Artists; Kuweni Dias Mendis and Grant X Wilkes – Packers Prize; Connor Bashar – Next Gen Prize (for artists 18 and under) ; Kuweni Dias Mendis and Grant X Wilkes – Metro Arts Experimental Portraiture Prize; Ruby Herrenberg – Emerging Artist; Stella Valente – Emerging Artist.
Brisbane Portrait Prize chair Anna Reynolds says she is thrilled with the winning works this year.
“These artworks highlight the rich depth of talent and ingenuity of Brisbane artists – and also the give us special insight into the lives of the sitters and the times in which we live,” Reynolds says. “There is something for everyone in the finalists exhibition. In addition to the well-known faces, there is space for showcasing the richness of humanity and revealing the nobility inherent in the everyday.”
Commenting on the prize winners, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the Brisbane Portrait Prize “captures Brisbane’s spirit, diversity and talent, showing that creativity is at the heart of our identity”.
“We’re incredibly proud to support one of our city’s cultural highlights, which draws tens of thousands of people each year and sparks conversations that bring us together. Every finalist and eventual winner has added something powerful to Brisbane’s story and I want to congratulate and thank them all.”
State Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek congratulated the winners and finalists of this year’s awards and acknowledged the high standard and diversity of submissions. He added that the State Government’s 10-year strategy for arts and culture, Queensland’s Time to Shine, “prioritises sharing our stories and celebrating our storytellers, and this exhibition provides an important platform to recognise the achievements of visual artists and subjects with a connection to Brisbane”.
State Librarian and CEO Vicki McDonald says the library is proud to once again partner with the Brisbane Portrait Prize.
The Brisbane Portrait Prize Finalists Exhibition continues until November 9 at the SLQ Gallery, State Library of Queensland.