Emerging artist takes out youth award

An up-and-coming visual artist who was recognised as the youngest ever finalist in the prestigious Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA)  has won the 2014 Young Achiever Charles Darwin University Arts Award.

Joshua Bonson was announced as the CDU Arts Award winner at a presentation dinner, alongside nine other award category winners and the overall Channel 9 Young Achiever of the Year.

He received the award from CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks who congratulated Joshua on establishing a local and national reputation as a visual artist.

Joshua’s hard work and persistence began to pay off when he was recognised as the youngest ever finalist in NATSIAA at age 18.

In 2013, he was a finalist again in the 30th NATSIAA, the City of Albany Art Prize and won the Top End NAIDOC Visual Artist of the Year. This was achieved in a relatively short period of time through determination and a passion to celebrate, share and explore his heritage.

Joshua has been involved in various art organisations within the local community including Darwin Visual Arts Association, GRIND Youth Paper, Centre for Contemporary Art, CDU Visual Arts and the Darwin Festival. Within the Darwin Visual Arts Association and the Darwin Festival, he has also assisted local artists to hang their exhibitions, and provided advice to young emerging artists to improve their ideas and art practice with the hope to encourage them to enter the national market.

As the winner of the CDU Arts Award, Joshua was presented with $2000 and a trophy.