Julian Assange urinating portrait wins Bald Archy prize

A painting of Julian Assange taking a leak has won this year’s Bald Archy prize. The caricature by French artist Xavier Ghazi portrays the WikiLeaks founder with his trousers around his ankles, urinating into a top hat with the US flag on it.

The Bald Archy - a parody of the Archibald Prize for portraiture - is a competition of humorous works of art, making fun of Australian celebrities and politicians. The exhibition and prize is advertised as the only one in the world judged by a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Maude.



There were 46 finalists in this year’s competition, with ‘‘the two Jules’’, Julia Gillard and Julian Assange dominating the competition, founder Peter Batey said at the announcement in Sydney on Tuesday.

Ghazi, 60, said he had first thought of calling his painting Pissing Off The Empire. ‘‘Having a leak in Uncle Sam’s hat is pissing off the empire,’’ he told reporters. ‘‘It’s not as much about the US as it is about global power and instruments of domination.’’