Five Decades
Jacinta Stewart
- Sitter: Elizabeth Sullivan and Louise O'Neil (Sullivan)
- Medium: Acrylic on Linen
- Dimensions: 92 x 122 cm
- Representation: The artist represents themselves
- Category: Sylvia Jones Prize for Women Artists
About the artwork and sitter
Stewart met twin sisters, Elizabeth Sullivan and Louise [Sullivan] O’Neil, when they were all were six years old, at Our Lady of the Rosary primary school in Kenmore. They remained in the same class throughout primary and secondary school at Brigidine College, Indooroopilly.
This year marks five decades of an extraordinary friendship that has stood the test of time, of which Stewart says “Liz and Lou are family to me, I consider them sisters.”
In 2019, Stewart returned to live in Brisbane after a seventeen-year residency in New York City to care for her aging mother. “The twins love and support has been unwavering. Their close bond with each other is tangible and reflected in the overlapping weave of their hair joining them.”
About the artist
Jacinta Stewart is an artist from Brisbane. Her medium of choice is acrylic paint. Stewart tends to work in themed series as this allows her to explore her subject of interest or viewpoint in greater detail. She has studied painting and drawing at Hunter College, the School of Visual Arts and The Arts Student League in New York City.
“When the three of us spend time together I feel like we enter a time warp - we seamlessly soar back and forth across the years, with stories told and memories shared."
Behind the scenes
A friendship that dates across a time frame of five decades is a rare gift. Equal measure of awe and appreciation comes with this.
When the three of us spend time together I feel like we enter a time warp – we seamlessly soar back and forth across the years, with stories told and memories shared. During a recent evening together, we laughed about childhood anecdotes from the seventies, cried over the physical trials that our aging parents currently face, and everything in between. Eliz and Lou are family, I consider them sisters.
Our friendship symbolises my childhood growing up in Brisbane. Our history is an honoured guest at each table we share.
