The West Australian Pulse: Mary Berry from Iona Presentation College the winner of the Editor’s Choice award

For as long as she can remember, Mary Berry has loved painting. As she and her family moved between countries when she was a little girl, as she settled into a new life in Perth as a Year 8 student at Iona Presentation College and as she tackled her final year of school while navigating an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, art has been an outlet and a passion. That lifelong passion is evident in her work, ‘Just another girl on a red carpet,’ which can today be revealed as the winner of The West Australian Pulse 2025 Editor’s Choice Award. The West Australian’s editor-in-chief Christopher Dore and editor Sarah-Jane Tasker, in consultation with exhibitors from last year’s Pulse, selected Berry’s piece out of the incredible 61 works from Year 12 Visual Arts graduates currently on display at The Art Gallery of Western Australia. Berry’s work is a contemporary reinterpretation of Italian artist Felice Casorati’s 1912 oil painting Girl on a Red Carpet. The oil on canvas, depicting Berry surrounded by items representing her journey from childhood to adulthood, sits alongside a bookshelf featuring more items of significance. The objects include children’s toys, a London bus and a rickshaw from her time living overseas, a jewellery box with rosary beads from her grandmother, a comic book and a VHS tape from her media studies. “It’s about growing up, becoming an adult. These are all objects that have stayed with me,” she said. “She is thinking, she’s reflecting on those objects. I hope it makes the viewers of the piece think of the objects in relation to her, and maybe what objects would represent them.” Berry spent countless hours throughout Year 12 creating the artwork, which she said was a true labour of love. “I loved the process, it’s not a chore for me, it’s a passion. I’m very proud of the way it looks,” she said. “(Winning Editor’s Choice) is a surprise, and it’s very validating. I put in all that time and effort and it’s my passion, it’s what I want to do in the future. It’s very important to me, I’m very grateful for it.” Berry, who is now studying a fine arts major at The University of WA, said having a creative outlet was vital as she managed the stress of her final year of school. “I’ve got sketchbooks everywhere, I’ll sit down for days and focus on it. It’s very good for me,” she said. “A big part of my ADHD is how it aids in my creativity, because this is definitely something that I can just recharge, tune out everything else and focus in on, without having to consciously work at it.” “I think everyone should have a creative outlet like that.” Tasker said the art on display in Pulse this year was exceptional and a powerful insight into the creative minds of young people. “The West is proud to sponsor Pulse and support the visual arts students who have used this amazing platform to share their perspectives on identity, culture, mental health, and social justice,” she said. “The outstanding calibre of entries this year made it difficult to select a winner but we were captivated by Mary’s visual autobiography as it draws you in and invites you to reflect on your own journey from childhood to adulthood.”