Kaylah Daniel-Stafford: Fairholme Open Art Prize Student Encouragement Award Winner

In a showcase of talent and cultural heritage, Year 11 Boarder, Kaylah Daniel-Stafford, has once again made a mark in the Fairholme Open Art Prize, exhibiting a captivating painting that represents her cultural heritage from Kowanyama.

Titled ‘Lilies in the Water,’ her piece holds significant personal and cultural meaning for Kaylah, as water lilies, known as ‘Maycheltrukeliy’ in the Kokoberra language, are her totem, given to her by her great-grandmother.

‘My grandmother does paintings as well and I was really inspired by her at a young age, and I want to be as good as her one day,’ Kaylah shared, reflecting on the familial legacy that ignited her passion for art.

Kaylah’s piece stood out among 200 other submissions in the exhibition, earning her the inaugural Student Encouragement Award, a new honour donated and selected by curators Sandy Pottinger and Sue Lostroh, both alumnae of Fairholme College.

‘I put a lot of work into it, many hours, and I can see it hanging in somebody’s home,’ Kaylah remarked with a blend of pride and humility.

Despite her artwork not being sold, she found solace in the thought of gifting it to her great-grandmother, who not only shares her name but also serves as a profound source of inspiration.

‘My grandmother who is an inspiration said she really loved the piece also, and she helps me by telling me stories about my culture which inspires my work and express it in artistic form,’ Kaylah explained.

Her connection to her culture is palpable in her art, especially in her depiction of the wet season when water lilies bloom among the rivers. ‘It makes me miss home, because during the wet season my dad would take us to drive to see the water lilies,’ she reminisced.

Currently, she is working on a new piece for an upcoming exhibition with her grandmother, focusing on a landscape series that depicts how the country speaks.

‘I really want to pursue my art and be known in the art world.’