Michael Simms Zaachariaha Fielding

Zaachariaha Fielding is an interdisciplinary artist from Mimili in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia. As lead vocalist of Electric Fields, Zaachariaha co-writes with producer Michael Ross, merging neo-soul-pop with the ancient culture of the APY peoples. Singing in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English, the duo has received 22 awards over the past six years. Zaachariaha is also an acclaimed painter and the winner of this year’s Wynne Prize.

‘I first saw Electric Fields during the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and was blown away by their extraordinary energy on stage. The powerful music alongside Zaachariaha’s breathtaking vocals were spellbinding,’ says Michael Simms, a first-time Archibald finalist.

Simms met Zaachariaha in 2020 and the pair had a few sittings, most recently in January 2023, which resulted in this portrait. Simms says he was struck by Fielding’s authenticity, and described his sitter as ‘warm, courageous, introspective and deeply engaged in the creative process’.

‘When creating this piece, I reflected on the Electric Fields song “Gold energy”, which Zaachariaha describes as speaking to the shared life-force between all living things. I thought of Zaachariaha’s ability to inspire people, and tried to channel this into the painting to celebrate their powerful, beaming energy.’