The 2025 Archibald Prize has been awarded to Queensland College of Art and Design’s Associate Professor Julie Fragar, for her portrait of friend and colleague, Justene Williams.
The painting was selected from a pool of 904 entries and 57 finalists, with the judges in complete agreement that ‘Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)’ should be the winner.
As a four-time Archibald finalist herself, Associate Professor Fragar has become just the thirteenth woman to win the prestigious prize, continuing a three-year run of female winners.
Known for her intricate, autobiographical artworks that delve into themes of memory, identity, and narrative, her distinctive style often weaves together fragmented images into cohesive, multilayered compositions.
Currently the Program Director of Visual Art at the Queensland College of Art and Design and holding a PhD in Fine Art from the same institution, her work has been exhibited in major galleries around Australia and the world.
In creating the winning portrait, Associate Professor Fragar endeavoured to capture her dear friend’s singularity and otherworldliness.
“Justene’s energy is the energy of a conjurer,” she said.
“[She] burst out of the gates from art school in the 1990s around the same time and place as me… [and] quickly became one of the central figures in the Sydney art scene for her hectic photographs, videos, performances and, later on, installation, sculptures and even operas.
“I made this painting because I wanted to honour the incredible multiverse of artwork that seems always to be exploding from her.”
The portrait, measuring 240cm x 180.4cm, will be on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until August 17, before touring several Australian cities through 2026.
