SYDNEY.- Ten artworks exploring what it means to be Australian in the twenty-first century have been selected as finalists in the City of Sydney's second annual Multicultural Art Competition.

From works depicting scenes of cultural diversity in everyday local communities to national icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Three Sisters, the finalists were selected from 96 entries from both Australian and international artists.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said that the images chosen this year depict the incredible diversity of contemporary Australian identity.

"As part of Art & About, Sydney's biggest public arts festival, our annual Multicultural Art Competition showcases the City's vision of an inclusive community of residents and visitors from all walks of life," Ms Moore said.

"This year's finalists have drawn inspiration from their own experience of what it means to be Australian and have created vibrant and colourful artworks that represent Sydney's contemporary cultural diversity".

The finalists were selected by a distinguished judging panel of arts industry professionals, community services professionals and representatives from the Inner and Eastern Sydney Migrant Interagency.

"The City's Multicultural Art Competition provides a fantastic platform for questioning and expanding visual definitions of Australian culture," said judge Rebecca Conroy, Associate Director of Performance Space.

"The ten works selected as finalists this year have strong appeal as sophisticated readings of contemporary Australian culture and identity."

The competition prize winners will be announced at the exhibition launch at Customs House on 17 October 2009, where $4000 in prize money will be awarded, including $2000 for the work judged most outstanding.

The artworks will be exhibited at Customs House Library from 17 - 30 October 2009 and at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, a unique arts centre in the heart of Sydney, from 4 - 22 November 2009.

Finalists

Richard Paik - "Sydney Harbour"
Yue Yoo Wang - "Amazing the Three Sisters"
Kathryn Dodd Farrawell - "Taken - But Not Forgotten! Aboriginality - An Identity"
Julia Lesiuk Sawicki - "Australians Enrich Each Other"
Michael Fairweather - "Night Drivers"
Craig Andrews - "Colourful Australia"
Alexis Andrea Paraan - "Building Together"
Adriano Toniolo - "Irrespective of Perspective"
Fang Min Wu - "Full of Colour, Full of Culture"
Stephanie Donnelly - "Celebrating Diversity"