The winner of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery's 2006 Adam Award has become the first New Zealander to be represented in the prestigious Portrait Gallery of Scotland's permanent collection. After selecting Freeman White's work as the 2006 Adam Portraiture Prize winner, judge James Holloway - director of the Scottish Portrait Gallery - invited him to Edinburgh where he was commissioned to paint portraits of a number of well-known people.

Image: 2006 Adam Award winner Portrait of Hans by Freeman White.The winner of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery's 2006 Adam Award has become the first New Zealander to be represented in the prestigious Portrait Gallery of Scotland's permanent collection. After selecting Freeman White's work as the 2006 Adam Portraiture Prize winner, judge James Holloway - director of the Scottish Portrait Gallery - invited him to Edinburgh where he was commissioned to paint portraits of a number of well-known people.

Image: 2006 Adam Award winner Portrait of Hans by Freeman White."This is a huge boost to Freeman White's career," said Avenal McKinnon, Director of the NZ Portrait Gallery. "Until now the only New Zealand connection has been through a small work by Nerli, the Italian-born painter and teacher of Frances Hodgkins, who lived here for a time," she said.

"Winning the Adam Portraiture Prize was definitely the catalyst to Freeman White's subsequent success," McKinnon said. "The competition is an important forum for New Zealand portrait painters and all New Zealand portraitists should consider competing for the $15,000 cash prize."

White is currently doing a residency in the Mosel Valley in Germany before returning to New Zealand in March next year.

Entries for the 2008 award close on December 10 and will be judged by Dr Lilly Koltun, director of Musee du Portrait du Canada. The exhibition will run from 21 February to the end of March in Wellington's Shed 11.

28/11/07