SA artistic excellence celebrated at 2022 Ruby Awards
Adelaide visual artist Hossein Valamanesh and theatre technician Bob Jesser were recognised posthumously for their lifetime achievements at the 2022 Ruby Awards, with other major winners including the Adelaide Festival show Watershed – The Death of Dr Duncan and an exhibition of work by influential printmaker Barbara Hanrahan.
Mark Oates and Mason Kelly in 'Watershed - The Death of Dr Duncan' at Adelaide Festival. Photo: Andrew Beveridge
The awards, presented on Friday night, recognise excellence across the South Australian arts sector and this year attracted more than 93 nominations across 11 categories.
Hossein Valamanesh with his work After Rain, Gallery 6, Art Gallery of SA, 2019. Photo: Saul Steed
Iran-born Valamanesh – who died suddenly at his home in January this year, shortly before his work was presented alongside that of artist wife Angela in the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art – was one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists and presented more than 30 solo exhibitions around Australia. His spinning sculpture, After rain, is one of the most-visited works in the Art Gallery of South Australia.
The late Robert (Bob) Jesser was a respected theatre technician, mentor, and manager of Norwood’s Odeon Theatre, described as someone who “dedicated his professional life to helping other people’s dreams, artistic visions and creations come to life”.
The pair were named joint winners of the Premier’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, presented by Premier Peter Malinauskas.
Watershed – The Death of Dr Duncan, a co-commission by Feast Festival, Adelaide Festival and State Opera South Australia inspired by the 1972 murder of Adelaide University law lecturer Dr George Duncan, won the Ruby Award for Outstanding Work or Event Within a Festival, while the Flinders University Museum of Art exhibition Bee-Stung Lips: Barbara Hanrahan, works on paper 1960-1991, was named Outstanding Work or Event Outside a Festival.
Bee-Stung Lips, which is set to tour regional SA as part of Country Arts SA’s 2023 program, featured 74 prints from throughout Adelaide-born artist Barbara Hanrahan’s 30-year printmaking career, from 1960 until her untimely death at the age of 52.
Other 2022 winners included the children’s show Seven Little Wonders, presented by The PaperBoats (Outstanding Work, Event or Project for Young People); the U City art project An Encounter of Strangers, led by artist Claire Wildish and presented by Uniting Communities and Guildhouse (Outstanding Community Event or Project); the Writers SA project No Limits: Young Regional Writers (Outstanding Regional Event or Project); and Clock for No Time, presented by Preserving Jars Creative Collective (Outstanding Collaboration).
Guildhouse, the peak SA body representing visual artists, craftspeople and designers, won the Ruby Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation or Group, while emerging playwright, performer, composer and producer Jamie Hornsby – whose credits include the award-winning children’s play Claire Della and the Moon – was presented with the Frank Ford Memorial Young Achiever Award.
Also presented with individual awards were dancer, teacher and actor Lisa Lanzi (the Geoff Crowhurst Memorial Award), and broadcaster, creative director, event organiser and youth advocate Dre Ngatokorua (Stevie Gadlabarti Goldsmith Memorial Award).
“The creation of arts in all forms celebrated at the Ruby Awards is a collaboration of creative workers such as curatorial, technical and production staff, and arts administrators, with the artists at the centre of the work being created,” Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said in a statement.
“The creativity, artistic excellence and enthusiasm of this sector contributes greatly to our state’s identity, our creative and cultural life, our economy and our wellbeing. It makes South Australia a great place to live and to visit.”
The full list of 2022 Ruby Award winners and finalists can be viewed here.
