High Octane

High Octane
2026
Acrylic on canvas
76.2 x 101.6 cm

For my Archibald entry, I had the pleasure of painting Jackson
Van Issum – lead singer and guitarist of Beddy Rays. Jackson is a
proud Woppaburra man who openly uses his platform to share
and celebrate his culture in many ways. I’m incredibly grateful
to Jackson for fitting me into his busy schedule just before
heading out on tour, and for trusting me to create this portrait
of him. From the beginning, he was open and generous with his
time – from the sitting interview in his backyard to thoughtfully
answering all the questions I had. During our yarn, I wrote down
a list of words that described him in that moment: passionate,
calm, proud, kind, real, and energetic. It was important for me
to try and bring these qualities into the work, as I wanted the
portrait to reflect how I experienced him in that moment. In High
Octane, I wanted to capture both Jackson’s calm nature and the
strong presence he carries on stage. The grey background, paired
with the black and white, reflects these two bold qualities. The
line work surrounding him represents his culture – the energy he
both receives and gives back. I wanted him to be surrounded by
this presence as a way of expressing that deep cultural connection
and celebrating Blak excellence.