Refugee and former child soldier wins state 'Australian of the Year'
Refugee, community leader, prize-winning portrait subject and now "Australian of the Year" in the state of New South Wales (NSW).
Deng Adut first came to global attention when se starred in a powerful advertisement for the University of Western Sydney.
A lawyer and community leader, Adut became the subject of a stunning artwork by Nick Stathopoulos back in September -- a work that picked up the People's Choice award in the Prestigious Archibald Prize.
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Just over a month later, the refugee advocate has been recognised again. Presented by the Australia Day Council, Adut was awarded the new honour Monday, telling the ABC "It means a lot, it means that I have to work extremely hard because I don't think I deserve it, so I have to work to deserve it.
"I've lost 17 other members of my family when the war broke out in 2013, I could be dead like them, that is what it means. I have a lot on my shoulders," he said.
The award also puts Adut in the running for Australian of the Year, announced in early 2017.
A former child soldier in Sudan, he came to Australia as a refugee in 1998. After teaching himself to read, he studied to become a lawyer and is now a powerful advocate for refugees like himself.
The incredibly realistic Archibald Prize portrait painted by Stathopoulos, took more than four months to complete, according to a statement.
"You really need to have the subject there in front of you to capture that life-spark and commanding presence. Those eyes, those scars, tell a story that no ad could ever convey," the artist said.
Adut and his story captured Stathopoulos's imagination after he saw him the university ad. The clip, which traced his journey from Sudan to western Sydney, has been viewed on YouTube more than two million times.
"It must be some sort of magic, but Nick really captured what’s underneath my skin in his painting," Adut said.
As part of his advocacy, Adut also delivered the 2016 Australia Day Address in January, sharing a message of dignity and openness.
"I was lucky. You are too," Adut said in his speech. "Freedom from fear is about acceptance of our common identity. For we, Australians, in 2016 freedom from fear is almost taken for granted. We had better take care to keep it."
UPDATE: Nov. 8, 2016, 11:07 a.m. AEDT Updated to include the NSW Australian of the Year announcement.
Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.
