Archibald Prize entry aims to inspire

Deception Bay GP and artist Subrat Mishra wants to inspire the next generation by shining a light on a young person in his entry for this year’s Archibald Prize.

Dr Mishra will paint Paralympian and Caboolture resident Lakeisha Patterson for Australia’s top portrait prize in the coming weeks ahead of his April 30 deadline.

“She has done this area very, very proud. She is inspiring the community,” he says.

“My aim is to project youth and my theme is future, the future of Australia and how the young people can inspire the community. She’s the right one.”

He may have chosen Patterson for the big one, but he’s looking for other inspiring youth from across the region as he decides who he will paint for this year’s Brisbane Portrait Prize.

Dr Mishra’s even considering an exhibition if enough subjects are nominated.

“The community is going through a lot of hard times, recently, after COVID. I just want to portray hope. There is hope there always,” he explains.

“We always say how bad the youngsters are, recently with all those bad things going on we always say these teenagers are awful … nothing good. I want to show … I’ve seen a lot of kids and they’re fantastic, they’re doing a great job.

“That’s the hope and encouragement to the young kids too … do something good for the community and there are people doing good in the community.”

This year’s entry will be his third in the Archibald Prize. The first was of the late Marc Clark, a renowned artist who lived at Deception Bay.

Dr Mishra followed up by entering a self-portrait during height of COVID-19 in which half his face was covered by a medical mask - depicting a cool and calm doctor - and the other side of his face was revealed to show his humanity and the despair of losing loved ones to the pandemic overseas.

Long connection with art

He has enjoyed art since he was a child but rediscovered it about 10 years ago.

“I actually stopped doing art for 20 years, just focusing on my career and my life. I started doing art again after 2012 when I tried to encourage my daughter to become an artist,” he explains.

“She was just five or six years old. She was pretty good. She stopped doing art because she has got other priorities in her life, but I continued. I had found my passion. It has helped me healing as well.

“After a day at work … we’re very, very busy particularly with mental health patients. It can be stressful, at times, but art makes me heal myself. I also use it as a kind of therapy for myself and other people. I encourage my patients to do art.”

Dr Mishra has also used his art to raise money for charities and causes to help the community since 2013.

So, how does he feel when he’s painting?

“I feel lost in it. I feel lost and found at the same time. It’s a strange feeling because sometimes you’re feeling two (emotions) at a time,” he says.

If you know a young person Dr Mishra should paint, contact him via his Subrat’s Art Therapy Facebook page or via Instagram.