Six emerging Hills district artists have been listed as semi-finalists in the prestigious 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize .

Susan Ma , Christopher Malouf , Paul Newton , Heather Miller , Isabella Bruzzese and Oliver Stokes Hughes are a step closer to the grand prize .

They are competing in a field of 151 semi-finalists for Australia ’ s richest art prize of $ 150,000 , the Moran Arts Foundation announced .

Portraits in the competition include

lesser-known and well-known Australians including Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese MP , horse trainer Gai Waterhouse AO , and Australian personalities Asher Keddie , Akmal Saleh , Matt Preston , Jack Charles , Peter Overton AM and actor John Howard .

Self-portraits have been popular entrants as well .

“ Self-portraits and portraits of fellow artists were submitted as a reflection of the lockdown conditions that Australia has experienced in recent times ,” the

foundation said .

Judges include Emeritus director of the Art Gallery of South Australia Daniel Thomas AM , prominent Australian artist and 2017 DMNPP winner Tim Storrier AM , and Peter Moran , managing director of the Moran Health Care Group .

Peter ’ s parents Doug and Greta Moran AO established the Moran Arts Foundation in 1988 .

“ In trying to identify portraits of quality there is much more to consider than just ‘ likeness of sitter ’. One must consider ;

scale , colour , tone , composition , surface and drawing etc , all of which come into it .” Tim Storrier said .

“ In the end , I look for that heightened sense of presence of the figure in space - a penetrating instant that conveys the intense physical and spiritual presence of the sitter , this can be achieved in a good portrait .”

Finalists will be announced on Monday 1 November and the winner declared on Friday , 30 November , followed by an online exhibition .