Who was Craig Ruddy?

Craig Ruddy (8 August 1968 – 4 January 2022) was an Australian artist, known for winning the Archibald Prize in 2004 with his portrait of renowned Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil.

Craig Ruddy, Archibald prize-winning painter, dies at 53 from Covid complications

The Archibald prize-winning Australian artist Craig Ruddy has died aged 53 as a result of Covid complications.

Ruddy, who was based in the New South Wales northern rivers region, won Australia’s most celebrated portrait prize in 2004 for his painting of David Gulpilil, titled Two Worlds.

He also won the Archibald people’s choice prize that year, and again in 2010, for his portrait of Warwick Thornton. He was an Archibald finalist in 2011 and 2020, for his portraits of Cathy Freeman and Bruce Pascoe, respectively.

Ruddy’s death on Tuesday night was announced on social media on Wednesday in a post that also paid tribute to his partner of two decades, Roberto Meza Mont.

“It is with the heaviest of tender hearts we let you know that last night Craig left his body peacefully at home in Roberto’s arms,” the post on Ruddy’s accounts said. “We have lost the most divine human that gave so much to our communities, the creativity, the inspiration, the pure love and plenty of dance.”

In a recent profile in the Northern Rivers Review, the pair were described as a “powerhouse couple”, renowned in the region for their community input. In the piece, Ruddy spoke of the rare lung condition he was diagnosed with as a child. “It slowed me down and put me into a strange euphoric state,” he said. “As a result, I learned to sit and observe.”

Ruddy’s 2004 Archibald-winning Gulpilil portrait made headlines when another artist, Tony Johansen, took legal action against the Art Gallery of NSW, which administers the prize. Johansen’s claim, which was dismissed by the NSW supreme court, was that Ruddy used mostly charcoal for the work, making it a drawing, not a painting.

Ruddy was devastated by the death of Gulpilil just over a month ago. The artist and the Yolŋu actor developed a strong bond in 2004 when Ruddy drew him for Two Worlds. Ruddy drew Gulpilil at the Colo River while the actor took a break from rehearsals for his one-man show, directed by Neil Armfield. Ruddy only had a couple of hours to create the portrait, which he drew on colonial wallpaper.

After Gulpilil’s death from lung cancer in November last year, Ruddy posted a picture to social media of him creating the portrait, writing: “This is how I’ll always remember you, strong, resilient and cheeky. My heart is heavy knowing you’ve left this world but your legendary spirit will live on forever.”

Craig Ruddy Cause of Death

Craig Ruddy has passed away due to Covid-19. The amazing artist died on Tuesday in his own house, which is in Byron Bay. As we know how much Covid has affected the entire world and has questioned the future. We all are aware that several people across the world have lost their lives to serious diseases.

Now one of the beloved actors also becomes one of the victims. His death from Covid has alerted people who believe Covid is a hoax. There is no confirmation about his vaccination status Craig.

Craig Ruddy Biography, Wiki

Craig Ruddy, born 8 August 1968, Forestville, Sydney was an Australian artist. In 2004 Ruddy won the Archibald Prize for his charcoal drawing of David Gulpilil entitled Two Worlds. The portrait of the Aboriginal actor won both the $35,000 Archibald portrait prize and the People’s Choice Award in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Another artist, Tony Johansen, took legal action against the Art Gallery of NSW Trust over the portrait. Johansen argued that because Ruddy predominantly used charcoal in his work, it was a drawing, not a painting, and therefore was ineligible for the prize. In June 2006 the NSW Supreme Court dismissed Johansen’s claim.

After winning the Archibald Prize he developed Poppy Seeds, a series of portraits, nudes and self studies that was exhibited in November 2004. The series addressed the tall poppy syndrome that often accompanies success in Australia. His diptych Self-portrait – into the box was one of the 2006 Archibald Prize finalists.

In August 2006 Ruddy’s Two Worlds sold to a private collector at the Sotheby’s auction in Sydney for $312,000. It had been valued at between $150,000 and $180,000. In 2010 Ruddy won the Archibald People’s Choice Prize for his portrait of Warwick Thornton entitled The Prince of Darkness. He was a finalist in the 2011 Archibald Prize.

Born	Craig Ruddy 8 August 1968 Forestville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	4 January 2022 (aged 53) Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Known for	Painting
Awards	Archibald Prize 2004 Two Worlds – Portrait of David Gulpilil Archibald People’s Choice Prize 2010 The Prince of Darkness – Portrait of Warwick Thornton
Website	craigruddy.com

Craig Ruddy Career

In 2004 he won the Archibald Prize for his charcoal drawing of David Gulpilil entitled Two Worlds. The portrait of the Aboriginal actor won both the Archibald portrait prize and the People’s Choice Award. Another artist, Tony Johansen, took legal action against the Art Gallery of New South Wales Trust over the portrait.

Johansen argued that because Ruddy predominantly used charcoal in his work, it was a drawing, not a painting, and therefore was ineligible for the prize. However, the NSW Supreme Court dismissed Johansen’s claim.After the 2004 Archibald, Ruddy developed Poppy Seeds, a series of portraits, nudes, and self-studies that were exhibited in November 2004.

The series addressed the tall poppy syndrome that often accompanies success in Australia. His diptych Self-portrait – into the box was one of the 2006 Archibald Prize finalists.In August 2006 Ruddy’s Two Worlds was sold to a private collector at the Sotheby’s auction in Sydney for $312,000.

It had been valued at between $150,000 and $180,000. In 2010 Ruddy won the Archibald People’s Choice Prize for his portrait of Warwick Thornton entitled The Prince of Darkness. He was an Archibald Prize finalist in 2011 with a portrait of athlete Cathy Freeman and in 2020 with his portrait of author Bruce Pascoe.

Craig Ruddy FAQ’s

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