Australian actor Noah Taylor's face will feature on a wall at the Art Gallery of NSW thanks to an Illawarra artist who has been named a finalist in this year's Archibald Prize.
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The announcement was made during the Packing Room Prize on Thursday - a prelude to the main event on July 17 - where Paul Ryan's Thirteen Noahs was among 48 finalists named from a pool of 832.
A portrait of Packed to the Rafters star Michael Caton by Bruno Jean Grasswill won the Packing Room Prize.
Other celebrities immortalised by brush strokes in the "Archies" include musicians Daniel Johns and Paul Kelly, and fashion designer Jenny Kee. The portrait competition was first awarded in 1921 and features a who's who of Australian culture - from politicians to celebrities to sport stars and artists.
Last year, a painting of a scruffy-looking Sir Les Patterson by well-known artist Tim Storrier took the prize.
Ryan, of Thirroul, has gone against the norm this year and instead of entering one single portrait, his work is a collection of 13 smaller pieces including two painted on vintage ping pong paddles.
In June, a series of works by Ryan were splashed onto the walls of the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Festival.
The Archibald exhibition will open from Saturday, July 18.
