BALLAJURA artist Jessica Logan has been voted the winner of the 2025 Lester Prize People’s Choice Award, receiving $15,000, generously donated by the Baldock Family Foundation, for her evocative portrait ‘Half Time’.

An emerging artist celebrated for her realism and rich use of colour, Logan secured the highest number of votes cast both at the exhibition’s onsite voting kiosks and online via The Lester Prize website.

The works of the 40 finalists were exhibited at the WA Museum Boola Bardip from mid-September, drawing strong public engagement.

Logan’s winning portrait -  an oil on canvas depicting a mother breastfeeding her infant while eating an orange during an AFL half time break - delves into the layered identity of athlete-mothers and the complexities of balancing personal ambition with caregiving.

She said as an artist she was drawn to portraits that speak to resilience in overlooked moments.

“Painting Cassandra was a way to honour the quiet strength in her reluctant yet defiant decision to breastfeed mid-game. This piece is part of my broader exploration of womanhood, visibility, and the stories we don’t often see celebrated in competitive or public spaces.”

The portrait’s subject, Cassandra Terranova, is a mother of twins, athlete, and advocate for women in sport who began playing AFL in 2018 as a means of reclaiming her physical and mental strength after early motherhood.

The moment that inspired the artwork was captured during halftime: Cassandra breastfeeding her son on the sideline - an image Logan described as an unplanned expression of “vulnerability and power”, symbolising the adaptability and determination of mothers who continue to pursue their passions while navigating the demands of caregiving.

Logan’s creative journey began at age seven, when she first realised the expressive potential of drawing beyond stick figures and the written word.

Largely self-taught, she balances her thriving executive career in leadership and cultural transformation with a deep passion for visual storytelling, with her work capturing raw emotion and human complexity, often exploring both animal and human portraiture.

Now focused on championing emerging artists, she is working toward hosting collaborative gallery shows that spark dialogue, challenge perception, and celebrate the beauty of the everyday.

Awards include: Finalist, 2021 Vasse Art Award, finalist, 2021 South Perth emerging artist award, and highly commended, 2022 South Perth emerging artists award, 2025 Lester Prize finalist and winner of the Baldock Family People’s Choice award.

The Baldock Family People’s Choice Award, the final announcement of The Lester Prize season, officially marks the close of the 18th annual exhibition.

Executive director Shannon Yujnovich said the 2025 event was an exceptional success, attracting record visitation and the highest number of entries ever seen.

“With a prize pool increased to $135,000 and strong support from new sponsors and members of the Lester Collective, the prize continues to flourish. Each year our reach grows, and portraiture gains an ever-expanding audience of supporters and admirers,” he said.

“Thanks to our sponsors, supporters and advocates, The Lester Prize is well-positioned for continued growth and we hope to tour the prize nationally in the coming years, after all, this is a national competition, and we have entries from all around Australia.”

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