24 July 26 - Media Release
National law firm Holding Redlich is pleased to announce Jacqueline Hennessy as the winner of the 28th People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Salon des Refusés: The alternative Archibald & Wynne Prize selection exhibition.
The People’s Choice Award is determined by visitor votes during the annual exhibition, recognising the work that resonated most strongly with audiences. Hennessy's winning artwork, Eliza, is an oil on linen portrait of fellow artist Eliza Gosse and reflects her distinctive figurative style, which moves between photographic realism and spiritualist romanticism.
“I came to know painter Eliza Gosse during our studies at the National Art School and have long admired her practice. This portrait, rendered in a restrained sepia palette, draws on the language of photography while quietly unsettling its claim to fully capture the subject. The figure emerges through thin layers of raw umber, at once precise and dissolving. Gosse’s gaze too slips beyond the viewer, withholding direct exchange. What remains is a partial presence – felt, but never fully secured,” Hennessy said.
Hennessy builds her paintings slowly through layers of sepia-toned paint, using shifts between appearance and disappearance, painted and unpainted surfaces, and detail and blur to create visual tension. She holds a Master of Fine Art (Painting) from Sydney's National Art School and was the inaugural recipient of the Tweed Regional Gallery – National Art School MFA Residency Award in 2019.
Holding Redlich’s State Managing Partner for NSW, Darren Pereira, congratulated Hennessy on receiving this year's award.
“The People’s Choice Award reflects the strong connection visitors have formed with Eliza throughout the exhibition and we congratulate Jacqueline on winning this year’s award.”
“For 28 years, Holding Redlich has proudly supported Salon des Refusés and the People’s Choice Award, celebrating the exceptional talent and creativity of Australian artists. Through our long-standing partnership with the National Trust’s S.H. Ervin Gallery, we are pleased to continue recognising artists whose work inspires audiences across Australia.”
The Salon des Refusés, initiated by the National Trust’s S.H. Ervin Gallery in 1992, provides a platform for artworks not selected for the Archibald or Wynne Prizes. The exhibition is held annually at the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney, with the winner of the Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award voted by visitors during the exhibition period.
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Photo (from left to right): [Names and titles of people pictured] with Jacqueline Hennessy's winning artwork, Eliza.
13 July 2026 - In the News
#Property & Development
Holding Redlich is pleased to announce that Associate Lola Chang has been selected for this year’s Property Council of Australia 500 Women in Property Program, a national initiative that supports and empowers women in the property sector.
25 June 2026 - Media Release
#Construction, Infrastructure & Projects, #Corporate & Commercial Law, #Dispute Resolution & Litigation, #Government, #Planning, Environment & Sustainability, #Property & Development, #Workplace Relations & Safety
Holding Redlich is pleased to announce the promotion of 17 lawyers across its national offices, including three senior lawyers to partnership. The promotions will take effect on 1 July 2026.
