Our 2025 Judges

  • SHARYN EGAN - Cossack Art Awards 2025 Judge

    SHARYN EGAN

    Sharyn Egan is a Noongar artist known for her fibre art, sculpture, and painting. She exhibits nationally and has created public art in Western Australia, including commissions for Scarborough Beach, Yagan Square, and Elizabeth Quay. Her works are often featured in Sculpture by the Sea at Cottesloe and Bondi.

    Egan began her artistic journey at 37, earning a Diploma of Fine Arts from the Claremont School of Art in 1998, followed by an Associate Degree in Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Curtin University in 2000, and a Bachelor of Arts (Arts) in 2001. She also completed a Certificate VI in Training and Education in 2011.

    Her work explores the relationships between people, places, plants, and animals, reflecting her life as a Noongar woman. Using a variety of mediums, including sculpture, woven forms, and painting, Egan’s art blends traditional and contemporary elements. Her recent works incorporate natural materials like the resin of the Balga (grass tree), embedding the essence of Country into her pieces.

    Egan’s art emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life, urging us to recognise our impact on the Earth and our role as caretakers of the natural world.

  • ROSS POTTER - Cossack Art Awards 2025 Judge

    ROSS POTTER

    Ross Potter is a Kamilaroi man and professional artist living on Whadjuk Noongar Boodiar, in Walyalup/Fremantle.

    He works with pencil and paper to produce highly detailed, often large-scale representations of his subjects. Through magnifying microscopic features, Ross brings the abstractions of reality to our attention, while telling compelling stories of everyday life. One of his most well-known works is a life-sized drawing of Perth Zoo's beloved elephant Tricia, which he created in the gallery during Fremantle Arts Centre's hugely popular kids' exhibition Animaze: Amazing Animals for Kids in 2018.

    Ross' work has also been presented in numerous exhibitions and was shown in the Fremantle Biennale and at Boola Bardip WA Museum.

    Ross has undertaken artist residencies across Western Australia, including Cossack, Margaret River and most recently his first international residency at Herhúsid in Siglufjördur, Iceland.

  • LILY-MAE KERLEY - Cossack Art Awards 2025 Judge

    LILY-MAE KERLEY

    Lily-Mae Kerley is a Menang Ngadju Noongar / Badimaya Yamaji woman from Geraldton. She is early career artist and emerging curator, who works at Yamaji Art as their Arts Development Officer.

    From 2019-2021, Lily-Mae participated in the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia’s Arts Worker Training Program, gaining experience with The Art Gallery of Western Australia, ART ON THE MOVE, and renowned remote Aboriginal art centres.

    She was involved with the installation of Songlines at WA Museum Boola Bardip (2020), later joining the Museum’s Emerging Curator program (2023–24).

    Her latest curatorial project was Yamaji Yanajingmanha Barna/Uthudu (2024) at the Geraldton Museum as part of the Indian Ocean Triennial, as well as a couple solo exhibitions at Yamaji Art.

    Lily-Mae's dynamic arts practice is deeply inspired by her deep love of culture and the vibrant colours of Country. Her creative expression is through multiple mediums, including lino printing, painting, and textiles. Most recently, Lily-Mae has expanded her practice into creating various unique body adornments, showcasing her versatile skills and exploring cultural revitalisation, in a contemporary expression of long-standing traditions and practices. Each piece beautifully reflects her connection to her culture and the elements of the country.