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Sean Layh Wins Archibald Packing Room Prize for Portrait of Hamlet Actor

The staff-picked award offers an early clue to this year’s Archibald field before finalists go on show in Sydney on May 9.

Overview

  • Melbourne artist Sean Layh won the $3,000 Packing Room Prize for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins in character as Hamlet.
  • The prize is chosen by Art Gallery of New South Wales packing room staff, who judge works for visual impact and artistic merit.
  • Layh’s painting is one of 59 Archibald finalists selected by the gallery’s trustees, and the main $100,000 winner has not been announced.
  • The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman finalists will be exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from May 9 to August 16.
  • Archibald entries must be painted from life within the past year, a rule that saw Layh set up sittings after he first saw Collins perform Hamlet in 2024.