High Octane2026Acrylic on canvas76.2 x 101.6 cm For my Archibald entry, I had the pleasure of painting JacksonVan Issum – lead singer and guitarist of Beddy Rays. Jackson is aproud Woppaburra man who openly uses his platform to shareand celebrate his culture in many ways. I’m incredibly gratefulto Jackson for fitting me into his busy schedule just beforeheading out on tour, and for trusting me to create this portraitof him. From the beginning, he was open and generous with histime – from the sitting interview in his backyard to thoughtfullyanswering all the questions I had. During our yarn, I wrote downa list of words that described him in that moment: passionate,calm, proud, kind, real, and energetic. It was important for meto try and bring these qualities into the work, as I wanted theportrait to reflect how I experienced him in that moment. In HighOctane, I wanted to capture both Jackson’s calm nature and thestrong presence he carries on stage. The grey background, pairedwith the black and white, reflects these two bold qualities. Theline work surrounding him represents his culture – the energy heboth receives and gives back. I wanted him to be surrounded bythis presence as a way of expressing that deep cultural connectionand celebrating Blak excellence.
