A beautifully-luminous glass crown has been named a clear winner of the South Australian Museum’s Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize People’s Choice award.
Soft Echo by Akie Haga from the Australian Capital Territory was also a finalist in the Open category, which was ultimately won by Deb McKay’s Ghosts of Our Coastal Waters.
Akie’s piece was comfortably the viewer favourite, collecting more than 10 percent of over 2,000 votes cast for the 74 finalists.
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The winner of the People’s Choice award, which is proudly supported by Sonya Hender and Ron Langman, receives a $5,000 prize. Akie’s piece was also quickly sold for $7,500 after the Waterhouse exhibition opened at the Museum in April.
Soft Echo is a delicate glass crown shaped after the flannel flower, which Akie describes as a meditation on memory, belonging, and renewal.
“As a Japanese-born artist living in Australia, I navigate the quiet tension between two landscapes,” she said.
“My childhood memory of weaving clover crowns in Japan resurfaced through this Australian native, a fire-responsive species that returns after bushfire, its seeds stirred awake by heat and ash.
“Formed in soft, translucent white glass, subtly uneven and shifting, the work mirrors the nature of memory itself — fragile, luminous, and resilient through change.”
Soft Echo is a flameworked borosilicate glass sculpture composed of translucent blossoms and branching growths.
Each element is individually shaped, layered and assembled, forming a luminous cluster of flannel flower forms. Subtle opalescent colour and fine detail emphasise movement, fragility and the delicacy of natural structures.
South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton said the People’s Choice award highlighted the powerful connection visitors make with the artworks in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize.
“Akie’s winning work clearly resonates with audiences, and it’s easy to see why,” she said. “The piece is both beautiful and compelling, drawing people in and encouraging them to look more closely at the natural world.
“The diversity of the survey of works is one of the strengths of the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, and each artwork tells a unique story and connects with people in different and meaningful ways.”
The Waterhouse Prize is produced by the South Australian Museum and would not be possible without the support of the South Australian Museum Foundation (Open Prize Sponsor), Hill Smith Art Advisory (Emerging Prize Sponsor), Sonya Hender and Ron Langman (People’s Choice Sponsor), Jam Factory(People’s Choice draw prize) and Visualcom (Production Partner).
The Waterhouse Prize exhibition is in its final weeks at the South Australian Museum, closing Sunday 19 July.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door by card only. Find more on the South Australian Museum’s website.
