Nineteen-year-old Macedon artist and singer-songwriter, Amalie Rose, is entering the Archibald Prize for portraiture with a portrait of Aussie icon Ian Smith.
If Amalie’s portrayal of Smith were to get into the final this year, she would be the youngest artist to have a non-collaborated artwork hung in the Archibald Prize final.
“The impact it could have on other young artists for a young female artist like me to be recognised in this industry would be amazing!” Amalie said.
“I think it’s important for us to see that we are capable and that we are good enough despite the art world being an industry so challenging for young people to crack and breakthrough.
“Art is for all of us, whether it’s fine arts, performance arts or music, and it would be great to see young Aussie artists encouraged.”
Amalie has entered the Archibald prize previously in 2022 with a portrait of her uncle award-winning artist Vincent Fantauzzo, and the following year with a self-portrait that now graces the front cover of her single Good Luck Black Cat.
Amalie’s subject for this year’s prize is Australian actor Ian Smith, best known for his roles on Australian television, some of which include the memorable Harold Bishop in the award-winning Aussie soap Neighbours, and Ted Douglas in the cult series Prisoner in which he was also an executive producer and screenwriter.
Ian said the experience of being portrayed in paint was the most wonderful feeling because it was how somebody else saw you.
“It’s someone else taking in an image of you and reflecting that through their mind, their perspective,” he said.
“I love seeing the efforts of young people and comparing them to the young people of my time. Young people now know a lot about the world.”
Ian has had a career in the industry spanning over 60 years and is still appearing regularly on our screens.
“Something I hope for is that people don’t rubbish my efforts, that’s why it’s great when you get a pat on the back for what you do,” he said.
Amalie has been working on the painting now for months and is grateful for the opportunity to paint Ian.
“I am really grateful to be able to do this painting, the more I get to know Ian the more I know I’m on the right path because he is genuinely someone who deserves to be painted,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve known Ian for such a long time, but now that I think about it, it’s probably because I’ve been staring at his face for the last three months, but that’s the joy of painting, you get to really know the person behind the paint.”
Amalie grew up with a brush in her hand, coming from an artistic and eccentric family. Her Gran (Rosaleen Mitchell) was awarded a scholarship to study fine art in London at the age of just 15 before getting a green card and having to move to Australia.
Amalie’s uncle is well-known portrait artist Vincent Fantauzzo, who has won Archibald’s People’s Choice multiple times.
At the age of 14, Amalie left formal education and began teaching herself to write and produce music. She used her love of painting to afford musical instruments and recording equipment by selling commissioned portraits. Amalie then painted the artworks for her songs, her latest being So Please.
Amalie and her portrait subject, Ian Smith. 
Amalie’s portrait of Ian Smith in progress.
