Images from the Mandorla Art Award
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (360931)
Rockingham, Australia
August 15, 2025 8:38pm CST
While we were at New Norcia which is a monastery town, we visited the art gallery where previous winners and finalists of the Mandorla Art Award were exhibited.
The Award is described as Australia’s most significant thematic Christian art prize, ‘a contemporary fine art award in conversation with a Biblical text’. It can be a work in any medium. The competition is held every two years and has been running since 1985. It has a prize pool of over $60,000.
As I don’t have enough to write about to show each one separately, I’ve done a collage of some of them but really, they are deserving of their own space. Just a comment on the one on the left. The Benedictine monks here have a reputation as being excellent bakers and they still produce a certain amount of bread for sale.
5 people like this
6 responses
@DaddyEvil (156681)
• United States
8h
@JudyEv I had a bread maker for several years and the doctor told me I needed to stop eating so much of it so I gave the maker away.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (151708)
• India
10h
Did you buy any bread?
Was there a partiuclar theme while entering that competion?
1 person likes this
@allknowing (151708)
• India
8h
@JudyEv Can you throw some light on the last image (on the right)
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@JudyEv (360931)
• Rockingham, Australia
7h
@allknowing The theme for 2026 is 'What is Truth'.
I had to laugh at 'throw some light' as there is too much light flooding in the corner of the photo. 
I'm going to make a separate post about this and use Vince's photo which is much better than mine.
I'm going to make a separate post about this and use Vince's photo which is much better than mine.1 person likes this
@JudyEv (360931)
• Rockingham, Australia
8h
The symbol for the award is almond-shaped and the website says mandorla 'refers to an almond-shaped halo or aura that we find around the images of Jesus or Mary in Christian art and particularly in icons. It represents the light emanating from a divine being, or one very close to a divine being.' which is basically what you said. Another thing I've learnt today. 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (360931)
• Rockingham, Australia
8h
The monks pray six times a day and I think the bells ring each time for that.
@LindaOHio (197924)
• United States
5h
Amazing artwork. I always wanted to go back to our art museum.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (360931)
• Rockingham, Australia
1h
Half the art I see I don't really understand but I did like some of these.
