SYDNEY.- Abdul Abdullah has been named the winner of the 2025 Packing Room Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for his portrait of fellow artist and friend Jason Phu. Abdullah’s portrait, titled No mountain high enough, marks his seventh time as an Archibald finalist and was selected from 57 finalists in the Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious art award.

Now in its 34th year, the Packing Room Prize, valued at $3000, is awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries.

Alexis Wildman, senior installation officer and member of the Art Gallery’s Packing Room team, says: ‘We were instantly drawn to Abdul Abdullah’s portrait of Jason Phu. Both are accomplished artists whose works have a distinct style and engage with complex social and cultural themes using wit and cartoonish references. The team holds great respect for the way both Abdul and Jason have progressed in their careers.

‘On a technical level, this portrait is very well painted. It really captures the essence of the subject with the image of a lone ranger, an intrepid jokester or a quiet hero navigating the rocky terrain of today’s social climate. This immediately sparked conversation among the Packing Room team,’ said Wildman.

Born in Perth, Abdullah is a multidisciplinary artist now based between Melbourne and Bangkok. A seventh-generation Muslim Australian of Malay, Indonesian and European heritage, his practice often investigates narratives of displacement and the reality of lived experience. He has been a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes multiple times.

On receiving the news, Abdullah said he was excited to win the 2025 Packing Room Prize.

‘It is always an honour to be selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize, and I am especially honoured to be picked for the Packing Room Prize. I see it as a sort of community prize, where the Packing Room team, which is made up of professional art handlers – many of whom are artists themselves – get to pick a painting they like. I am so glad they picked this one. It’s kind of like an artists’ pick, and I’m extra happy for that,’ said Abdullah.

‘Jason is my best friend. We talk on the phone every day, he was the best man at my wedding, and we have travelled together. I’ve painted him as I see him, as a ceaseless adventurer who at any one time is involved in a dozen conversations on a dozen different platforms, bringing his unique perspective to one flummoxed friend or another.’

Jason Phu is a Sydney-born artist whose practice brings together a wide range of references, including traditional ink paintings, calligraphy, readymade objects, everyday vernacular, ancient folklore, personal narratives and historical events, often imbued with satire and humour. Phu has also been a previous finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, and is himself a finalist in this year’s Archibald Prize for his portrait of actor Hugo Weaving.

In 2025, the Art Gallery received 2394 entries across the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, the second-highest number of combined entries received in the history of the three prizes and eclipsed only by the 2020 record year, which was delayed due to the pandemic. The Archibald Prize received 904 entries; the Wynne Prize received 758 entries; and the Sulman Prize received 732 entries, which is a record year for that individual prize. In total, 139 works have been selected as finalists across the 2025 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes: 57 finalists in the Archibald, 52 in the Wynne and 30 in the Sulman. This year marks the first time there are more finalist works by women artists across the three competitions.

The popular Young Archie competition received more than 3200 entries in 2025, with entries received from budding young artists aged five to 18 from every state and territory, showcasing the enduring popularity of this family-friendly crowd favourite. Seventy finalists from across the four Young Archie age categories have been selected to be exhibited at the Art Gallery.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2025 exhibition and the Young Archie 2025 competition are generously supported by presenting partner ANZ.

Mark Whelan, Group Executive, Institutional at ANZ, said: ‘Congratulations to Abdul Abdullah on winning the 2025 Packing Room Prize for his portrait, which captivated the Packing Room team. ANZ has a proud history of supporting the arts community in Australia and we are pleased to continue our support of the Archibald Prize in 2025.’

The winners of the 2025 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes will be announced next Friday 9 May at midday. Winners and all finalists will then be exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday 10 May to Sunday 17 August 2025.

Following the exhibition at the Art Gallery, Archibald Prize 2025 finalist works will tour to six venues across New South Wales and Victoria, offering audiences outside Sydney the opportunity to see the finalist portraits up close and personal.

Wynne Prize 2025 finalist works will tour to four venues in regional New South Wales. The Wynne Prize regional tour is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW’s Blockbusters Funding initiative.