A portrait of actor Jacob Collins by self-taught artist Sean Layh has won the Archibald Prize Packing Room prize, chosen by Art Gallery of New South Wales staff who hang the finalists for the exhibition. The announcement was made on Thursday, ahead of the main Archibald prize announcement on 8 May.
Layh's oil painting, titled The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, depicts Collins as Hamlet, a role he performed in a 2024 Melbourne Shakespeare Company production. Senior installation officer William Newell described the work as 'a dark, complex and beautiful double portrait' that feels alive.
Layh, who left a career in biological science at Monash University to paint full-time five years ago, said winning the prize was 'one of the great honours of my professional life'. He studied at the Victorian College of the Arts but found it wasn't the right fit, leaving painting before returning 15 years later.
The Packing Room prize is worth $3,000 and is decided by the gallery staff who unpack and hang the exhibition. This year's Archibald prize received more than 1,000 entries, with 59 finalists selected. The main prize of $100,000 will be announced on 8 May.
