Our People
4 June, 2026
Ararat artist takes flight in Paper Bird Illustration awards
Ararat artist Janette Lucas has been recognised after being shortlisted for the 2026 Paper Bird Illustration Exhibition and Thames & Hudson Illustration Award in Fremantle.
The exhibition, hosted at Moores Building Art Space, celebrated storytelling through art and highlights the growing significance of illustration and visual literacy. This year’s theme was “Flight”.
The competition was established by Paper Bird Books in Fremantle and attracted 300 artists from around the world, with 50 artists selected for the exhibition, with German based artist Olga Kutuzova announced at the winner of the illustration award.
Ms Lucas said being shortlisted was both exciting and unexpected. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It just felt so good to have been looked at and appreciated. I’ve been involved in the art world all my life, but this was just very special.”
Although the theme initially was a challenge, Ms Lucas said inspiration came quickly. “I normally don’t like to be directed and I thought, ‘No, I can do something with this,’” she said.
Creating a mixed-media collage work inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus. “I used a lot of collage of hand-coloured paper, that’s sort of a signature thing that I do with some of my other work, and on the theme of Icarus who flew too close to the sun.”
Her shortlisted piece, titled Young Icarus, follows a child named Frankie inspired by the ancient tale of flight. “Frankie is fascinated by the story of Icarus, who escaped the island of Crete where he was imprisoned with his father, Daedalus.”
Ms Lucas said the work evolved gradually as she combined different artistic elements. “I started drawing the wings and decided that it was a work in progress for Young Icarus,” she said.
She also wanted the character to feel open and relatable to viewers. “Little girls have been underrepresented in the past, but I think they’ve remedied that.” “But I like the idea of kids just being a little bit neutral, so Frankie is whoever you want Frankie to be.”
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