Corinda State High School student Angel Sadik has returned to the Brisbane Portrait Prize’s Next Gen category, submitting a new portrait after previously receiving recognition in the competition in 2024 and 2025.
Read: Corinda State High School Helps Student Secure Motorama Apprenticeship
The Year 12 student and co-Vice Captain was recognised as a Highly Commended entrant in 2024 and a finalist in 2025. Her latest work, The Man Behind the Title, marks her third consecutive entry in the annual prize for young artists.
A Portrait Inspired by a Familiar Image
For this year’s entry, Sadik chose Queensland Education and the Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek as her subject after he visited Corinda State High School in late 2025.
She was inspired by the minister’s distinctive wide-angle selfie style, frequently seen across his social media accounts. According to Sadik, the way the photographs bring people together made them an ideal starting point for a portrait exploring perspective and identity.
Rendered in oil paint on sanded plywood, the work moves beyond a straightforward likeness. Sadik said the circular composition was designed to resemble a camera lens, representing how society views the minister, while the phone featured within the artwork reflects a more personal perspective.
When Langbroek returned to Corinda State High School in February 2026 to sit for the portrait, Sadik said the experience gave her a different understanding of the person behind the public role. After first observing his composure during a previous school visit, she came to see a more approachable side, an impression she sought to capture in the finished work.
Langbroek said he was flattered to be selected as the portrait’s subject and believed the project reflected his portfolios in education and the arts. He also said he looked forward to seeing Sadik’s interpretation, noting that her artistic practice extends beyond traditional portraiture.
Corinda State High School also highlighted the project earlier this year, recognising Sadik’s previous Brisbane Portrait Prize achievements while marking the minister’s return visit for the portrait sitting.
Next Gen Prize
Photo credit: Facebook/Corinda State High School
The Brisbane Portrait Prize’s Next Gen category is open to artists aged 18 years and under and encourages young creatives to approach portraiture in contemporary ways.
For the 2026 competition, 15 finalists will be selected to exhibit their work in the main finalists exhibition at the State Library of Queensland. Finalists are scheduled to be announced in September 2026, with the exhibition opening and winners announced later that month.
Sadik has consistently experimented with different approaches to portrait-making. Previous entries have combined photography, acrylic paint and even strands of her own hair, reflecting her interest in exploring contemporary portraiture.
Read: 3 Corinda State High School Staff Recognised at Australian Education Awards
She has credited art teacher Pam Leech, together with family and friends, for supporting her throughout the creation of The Man Behind the Title.
As she returns to the Brisbane Portrait Prize for a third consecutive year, Sadik’s latest work explores the relationship between public image and personal identity through the ideas behind The Man Behind the Title.
Published 22-July-2026
