Wally
Wayne Budge
Wally [detail] 2025
Portrait of Wally Lewis
Digital photographic print
60 x 90 cm
About the Artwork
This portrait shows Wally Lewis in a quiet, reflective moment rather than as a sporting hero. The image avoids action and focuses on stillness, using strong shadow and minimal light to create a calm, thoughtful mood. The lighting draws attention to his face and hands, suggesting experience, strength and a life shaped by time.
Wally was chosen because he is widely recognised yet rarely seen in such a personal way. While he is known for leadership and success, his life has also included challenges beyond the public eye. This portrait aims to acknowledge those deeper layers without focusing on fame or achievement.
The work invites viewers to slow down and look past the public image. It presents the sitter as a person first, encouraging reflection on character, resilience and dignity rather than reputation.
About the Artist
Wayne Budge is a Queensland-based photographer whose work has been widely exhibited across Australia, Europe, Japan, and the USA. His images have appeared at major art shows, including the Monaco Yacht Show (2018, 2019), Scope Miami (2019), Red Dot Miami (2018), Art Expo New York (2019), Architectural Digest Design Show New York (2019), and the LA Art Show (2019, 2020, 2023–25).
Wayne has been a finalist in significant photographic awards, including the Historic Photographer of the Year Award (UK, 2021), the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize (2018, 2022), the Mudgee Arts Portrait Prize (2022), and the Brisbane Portrait Prize (2022, 2025).