Sydney doctor's 'hobby' nets $20k art prize

A Sydney doctor who took up painting as a hobby less than a year ago has taken out a lucrative art prize.

Sean Lee beat 43 other finalists and hundreds of entrants in the $20,000 Eckersley's Art & Craft Prize with his still life My Pantry Essentials, which depicts the sauces and ingredients that were commonplace in the kitchen while growing up in Sydney as a child of Chinese and Taiwanese migrants.

The 30-year-old paediatric registrar from Castle Hill has been painting for just 12 months.

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"I'm rapt, honestly this is a dream come true for me," Lee said.

"To take out such a prestigious prize, I can't believe it."

A true novice, Lee didn't have a case for his artwork, and said he almost destroyed it just getting it to the exhibition.

"The day I rocked up to present my painting, I remember it was a Tuesday, it was bucketing rain, and I was worried it'd get damaged if it got wet," he said.

"I had an old, ripped t-shirt in my room, so I improvised and wrapped it in that, just to keep it dry as I ran inside.

"Luckily, it didn't get any rain on it, but I was drenched - it was a small price to pay."

The artwork is now on display with other finalists at the Hazelhurst Arts Centre at Gymea till September 23.

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