The cherished memories of the matriarchs on either side of her family will forever inspire emerging artist Lily Wilson-Nannup.
From sneaking into her Nanna Gazie’s art room as a youngster, to watching her Nanna Lolo create the lino cutting for her printmaking, the 23-year-old Binjarrup Noongar woman had the privilege of growing up in a big family of artists.
Initially intent on deviating from the family trade — starting a mechanical pre-apprenticeship before moving into psychology — Wilson-Nannup’s revelatory moment came when she was commissioned in 2025 to create artwork The Wargul And The Swan River for the completion of The Nature Conservancy Australia’s Swan-Canning Estuary Reef Restoration Project.
“I didn’t really think I would ever be an artist,” Wilson-Nannup, of Mt Lawley, admits.
“I’ve always loved the practice of art, and all my family always pushed me to do art, but when I was at school, I had convinced myself I needed to make money more. The experience of doing this commission and the community that I formed, and the joy that it made me feel, I decided I’d just give it a try.”
The Wargul And The Swan River was unveiled on the banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) at Dyoondalup (Point Walter) in May 2026 while Wilson-Nannup completes her first-year as a fine arts student at Curtin University.
It is the same campus and degree her Lolo, aka Laurel Nannup, graduated from as a mature-age student in her 50s.
A member of the Stolen Generation, elder Nannup’s autobiographical book A Story To Tell features stories of her experiences as a young child and teenager, illustrated with her striking woodcuts and etchings.
Like her Nanna Gazie who died many years ago, Wilson-Nannup’s Nanna Lolo now lives with Alzheimer’s and became the inspiration for her granddaughter’s portrait My Memory Of Lolo, selected as a finalist in The Lester Prize 2026.
“It’s quite difficult to see my nanna the way she is, obviously because she’s a very strong woman, and sometimes it gets to me,” Wilson-Nannup shares.
“Because of the Alzheimer’s, she’s lost a lot of that, but when I look at her, I still see her as she was before.
“Even if she looks different, I wanted to portray that, so I worked off a photograph. When I found the photograph, I was like, ‘That’s perfect, that’s literally how I remember her’. She was always in the backyard at my dad’s house, crocheting, and was thick as thieves with her little dog Ruby Rose. They were never apart.”
Wilson-Nannup chose her favourite medium for the portrait, gouache on paper, a chalky watercolour that allows buildable layering similar to oils, but with the ability to dry much more quickly.
It enabled her to experiment with layering techniques like she never had before.
“My favourite bit is the sunnies because when I did that, I couldn’t believe it came out so well,” she says.
“I was super happy with it and really like using the orange in the background. I even got my magnifying glass out for little details.
“I feel like I was learning as I did it, and I took more time with it. I usually tend to rush and I’m very good at putting out art, which is helpful in first year uni because every week is a new thing. But I took time to slow down and do this gradually, and it paid off, because I learnt things as I went.”
Having worked on it for almost a month, Wilson-Nannup says she would take breaks in between to gain fresh perspective, with Lolo turning out bigger than originally planned after she mistakenly painted her head too large and had to adjust the scale accordingly.
The first-year student is one of 40 finalists for The Lester Prize 2026, selected from a record 1177 entries across Australia and exhibited at WA Museum Boola Bardip until November 29.
Wilson-Nannup is still reeling from the news of being chosen for Australia’s richest portraiture prize as she continues to immerse herself in the art community.
Her wish is for her portrait to spark curiosity with visitors to learn more about Nannup, an important figure in Aboriginal art and significant voice in the Stolen Generation’s truth-telling.
“That they are inspired to look up everything she achieved or to see her the way that I see her,” she adds.
“I just hope that people see how beautiful she is to me.”
The Lester Prize 2026 is at WA Museum Boola Bardip until November 29.
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