Self-taught artist Lucila Zentner named 2025 Archibald Prize finalist

In a compelling blend of artistic vision and scientific precision, Sydney-based radiologist and self-taught painter Lucila Zentner has been named a finalist in the 2025 Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious award for portraiture.

Her entry, Wendy in the Gallery, is a contemplative portrayal of acclaimed artist Wendy Sharpe in the midst of painting, capturing what Zentner describes as the “inner Wendy”.

Zentner, who has Jewish ancestry, also works as a specialist in radiology and nuclear medicine. She brings a unique perspective to her artwork. “Both of my vocations involve images and interpretation, almost in the inverse sense to one another,” she said. Her finalist portrait captures Sharpe in profile, painting during her 2024 Spellbound exhibition residency at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The canvas, modest in size at 50cm by 40cm, is intentionally intimate, a “secret window” into Sharpe’s mental landscape, with ghostly echoes of her own artwork drifting behind her.

“I met Wendy last year and was struck by a shared sentiment when she said that as an artist you must not censor yourself,” Zentner explained. “I have an imaginary sign above my studio door with my own take on Dante’s phrase: ‘Abandon all fear, ye who enter here.’”

Sharpe, whose own self-portrait won the Archibald in 1996, responded warmly to the tribute. “I am delighted to congratulate Lucila Zentner on being a finalist… She depicts me not static and not posing like many traditional portraits, but in the act of painting.”

Zentner’s route to this point has been anything but conventional. Born in Argentina, she migrated to Australia as a young child. Encouraged by her parents to pursue more practical paths, she initially set art aside, choosing instead to study medicine. It was only ten years ago, after a successful career in a regional radiology practice and while raising two children, that she returned to art with renewed seriousness. Her whimsical family portraits and surrealistic landscapes quickly attracted national attention, and she has since been a finalist in over 20 Australian art prizes.

A distinctive element of her work is the fusion of the everyday with dreamlike imaginings; her children and husband often appear in her paintings wearing kangaroo hats, doing curious and playful things like playing chess on the beach.

Zentner says she still finds it hard to think of painting as a “real job,” confessing that it’s “simply too much fun to count as work.” But with this latest honour, it’s clear that her artistry, and her distinctive vision, are earning the recognition they deserve.

Jewish artist Yvette Coppersmith was also named as a finalist in the 2025 Archibald Prize, marking her eighth time as a finalist in the prestigious competition. The Melbourne-based artist, who won the Archibald in 2018 with a striking self-portrait, is renowned for her fusion of classical and contemporary styles, often referencing historical portraiture while imbuing it with a distinctly modern sensibility.

Her 2025 entry continues to showcase her masterful technique and evolving visual language, reaffirming her position as one of Australia’s leading portrait artists and a consistent force in the national art scene.

The Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prize winners will be announced on Friday, May 9. The finalists’ exhibition opens May 10 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and will tour six regional galleries across Victoria and New South Wales through September 2026.