Meet our 2026 Artist in Residence, Jenna Pickering
Renowned artist and 2023 Cossack Art Awards overall winner Jenna Pickering has been selected as this year’s Artist in Residence.
The Artist in Residence program, supported by principal partner Rio Tinto, returns to the historic town of Cossack in July, which the award-winning Jenna Pickering will call home during her four-week residency.
The 26-year-old has been awarded The Lester Prize’s Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize and Toni Fini Foundation Prize and was recently featured on ABC’s Portrait Artist of the Year.
Greetings art aficionados! I'm Jenna, a meticulous portrait painter with a passion for capturing the intricate tales hidden within the expressions of my muse. Despite my quirky personality, my artwork is a seamless blend of precision and personality, where every brushstroke is an exploration into the nuanced lines of emotion.
In my world, portraits are more than just images; they're narratives waiting to be unveiled. I immerse myself in the delicate task of rendering each frown line, every subtle expression, ensuring that the essence of my subject leaps off the canvas. The goal? To create not just a portrait, but a visual symphony that tells a compelling story.
While my personality might lean towards the quirky side, my artistic approach is all about integration and finesse. The playfulness in my character finds its balance in the seriousness with which I approach my craft. The result is a harmonious marriage of whimsy and detail, where each piece resonates with both charm and precision.
Read more about Jenna on her website: jennapickering.com
“Cossack holds such a special place in my heart as the first major prize I ever won. It gave me the gusto to believe in myself a bit more and that maybe I wasn’t so bad after all. So, this is a full circle moment to be able to give back to the prize that gave me the confidence.”
AWARDS
The Lester Prize
Tony Fini Foundation Artist Prize & Ashhust Emerging Artist Prize - Together as one (2024)
Gascoyne Art Awards
First Prize in Human Form - Turn the lights on (2024)
Darlington Arts Festival
First Prize - Painting Category - Dream Curls (2023)
Mid West Art Prize
Finalist - Together as one (2023)
Cossack Art Awards
Overall Winner - Looking Beyond (2023)
The Lester Prize
Finalist - Paul Kelly (2022)
Shaun Tan Awards for Young Artists
Runner Up - Art (2010)
Hear from past Artists in Residence
“The residency offered more than just time to make — it shifted something in me as an artist… I know this experience will continue to ripple through my work for years to come.”
Monique Ross, Artist in Residence 2025
“Spending a month in such a unique and beautiful environment inspired me to create new works that I had never considered before and taught me to look at the landscape in a new way.”
Katie Barron, Artist in Residence 2024
“It was a very introspective time and was nice to be able to slow right down and let place and art completely take over. I became obsessed with the tidal patterns and the way you could almost see the landscape breathe. This inspired my body of work I created during the residency.”
Alice Boardman, Artist in Residence 2023
“My time as the Cossack Artist in Residence was terrific. It was beyond what I’ve ever experienced. It was a connection with the land, with painting, with me as an artist, and with the people.”
Annette Peterson, Artist in Residence 2022