Greg Warburton The public defender - portrait of John Nicholson SC

John Nicholson SC was admitted to the bar in 1977 and has been the senior public defender for NSW since 1999. He is a strong advocate for the acceptance of Indigenous law graduates to the bar and other issues concerning Indigenous people and criminal law. He has appeared for a number of high-profile defendants.

Nicholson is Warburton’s brother-in-law so he was accessible “but more than that, he is someone I really respect,” says Warbuton, who has painted Nicholson on previous occasions but not for the Archibald. They began discussing this portrait six months ago. Sittings had to be snatched when time became available since Nicholson keeps a hectic professional schedule.

The black-and-white style is something Warburton has been developing for eight or nine years. “I like the strong sense of light and dark and, in this case, it was a good way to present him with his white wig and bib.” Warburton uses charcoal, conte crayon and paint, though often the brushes are dry, used to remove charcoal rather than add paint. “I like to create an arresting picture that makes a strong statement at first glance but, on closer inspection, offers a lot of detail and nuance,” he says.

Born in 1952, Warburton trained at Hornsby Technical College and at Alexander Mackie College. He has had portraits in the Archibald Prize on two previous occasions.