SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.- It was announced today at the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney's Surry Hills, that Samuel Wade from Kings Cross in Sydney is the winner of the eighth Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship for his work Grey Day at Central, 2006, oil on linen.

119 entries were received from around Australia, of which 22 are included in the finalists’ exhibition at the Brett Whiteley Studio where they will be on display until 26 November 2006.

27 year-old Samuel Wade studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in the Rocks. He is a full-time practising artist and tutor, and has participated in several group and solo exhibitions. He has been a finalist in the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in 2000 and 2004.

Tasmanian born Samuel Wade came to Sydney to become an artist. Paul Delprat, principal of the Julian Ashton Art School was so impressed with his artistic abilities that after he completed a one year scholarship in 1997, Samuel Wade became the youngest teacher at the school at just 18 years of age.

In 2004, Mrs Beryl Whiteley was awarded an OAM for the creation and endowment of the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship. The inspiration for this annual scholarship was the profound effect of international travel and study experienced by her son, Brett Whiteley, as a result of winning the Italian Travelling Art Scholarship at the age of 20.

The Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship is open to Australian artists aged between 20 and 30 years. The winner is awarded $25,000 and a three month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, which is administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The judges for the 2006 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship were artist, Garry Shead, Art Gallery of New South Wales Director, Edmund Capon and Barry Pearce, the Gallery’s Head Curator of Australian Art.

Garry Shead commenting on Wade’s winning work said "Samuel’s paintings engage the viewer through their subject matter; moments glimpsed from the artists’s own life. These moments captured in the painting are deeply felt, often sensual and tender but with an edge which gives his work an underlying tension. He is only able to achieve all this because of his excellent technical ability and a sound formal training in the discipline of painting."

Finalists’ paintings will be exhibited at the Brett Whiteley Studio from Saturday 23 September to 26 November 2006.