Gilded Pearl
Ben Fuog
Gilded Pearl 2026
Portrait of Tonya Guild
Acrylic on canvas
120 x 40 cm
About the Artwork
Tonya Guild has owned and managed ‘The Surfy’ bar and bistro in Port Douglas for 15 years. It’s a North Queensland institution and so is Tonya. An extremely humble woman, she is renowned for her generosity across the community, so much so that her daughter and son have lost count of how many ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ they have, given Tonya’s propensity to take people in and love them as her own. Tonya’s dedication to helping those in need is endless. She donates time and funds to the SLSC, football clubs, and schools with no want for recognition; and is a former QWCA secretary and cancer survivor, who bravely battled it out quietly, not wanting to cause others concern. Beyond all of that, she is simply a kind, beautiful and hilarious woman. It was an honour to paint her and a pleasure to get to know her.
About the Artist
Ben Fuog is a multifaceted artist who lives between Melbourne and Athens, Greece. He has exhibited in both places extensively as well as elsewhere. He has been a finalist in a number of prizes, including the Blake Prize and the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, and a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize.