Jake Moss

Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2026 - Finalist

_{Image courtesy of artist.}

Jake Moss
QLD

Big kid
2026
Acrylic on linen
101.5 x 101.5cm

This painting of a goat is, in a quiet way, a kind of self-portrait.

To be clear, I’m not calling myself THE GOAT (as in, Greatest of All Time).

Just a goat.

I haven’t always found goats impressive, but that’s just because I’ve never really known much about them.

They’re just goats. Who cares, right?

Well, I’ve recently learned a little. So now I care a little.

Goats aren’t glamorous animals, but they survive on difficult ground and find nourishment in places that do not seem especially generous.

There’ve been times when I felt I was supposed to present myself as something else. A lion, maybe. But I am not a lion. I am more like a goat: not at the top of the food chain, not immune to fear or difficulty, but still here. Still surviving.

For me, the goat is a symbol of perseverance despite surroundings.