Sheree Dohnt

Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2026 - Finalist

_{Image courtesy of artist.}

Sheree Dohnt
WA

Mother's Day
2026
Ink on watercolour paper
84 x 121cm 

Mother’s Day depicts a moment from May 2022, when an afternoon tea was organised for the mums of my daughter’s pre-primary class, and prepared by her teachers, Mrs Partington, and Ms Fulford. The children were looking out for their parents as they filed into the classroom, as the teachers were settling the children into their places and prepared music for a performance. Matching crowns were crafted for each mum, along with a handmade poster featuring little handprints and questionnaires. A lot of work went into the making of this moment, and it felt good to see my daughter’s excitement when she spotted me in the crowd.Teachers are crucial during the formative years of everyone’s lives, and it is easy to take the work they do for granted, as those years fly by in the day to day.

Mother’s Day is part of a recent series of paintings which reflects on women’s experiences in undertaking all forms of labour. As a mother and artist, the line is blurred between each role, as one inspires the other. I am compelled to paint these scenes of women working in the context of caregiving and the everyday, to reconcile with it and to celebrate the realities of women’s lives. I am painting more about my immediate surroundings, with a reflection on community and how the people we encounter become characters in our own stories.