Archibald finalist Michael Zavros explores heritage and grief in a portrait of Alex Ryvchin

Greek Australian creator Michael Zavros, based successful Brisbane, has posted connected Facebook that helium was “thrilled to beryllium a finalist successful this year’s Archibald Prize with my representation of the unthinkable Alex Ryvchin”.

Alexander Ryvchin is simply a Ukrainian-born Australian author, advocate, media commentator and lawyer. He is besides co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and a vocal advocator for the Australian Jewish community.

“A fewer years ago, my parent thought she saw maine connected television. But it was Alex Ryvchin. In the pursuing months, a fewer friends besides observed that we looked alike,” said Zavros.

Zavros said his representation of Ryvchin was a effect to the Hamas attacks connected Israel connected 7 October 2023 and the Bondi Massacre successful December 2025.

“Alex was successful the media a lot. As co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and a earthy leader, helium spoke passionately astir the symptom successful his assemblage and the changes helium feared would look successful our nation.”

He besides revealed that, while having Greek and Irish heritage, a DNA δοκιμή showed helium was besides portion Ashkenazi Jewish.

“Around this time, a DNA δοκιμή revealed that successful summation to having Greek and Irish heritage, I was also, surprisingly, portion Ashkenazi Jew,” Zavros said.

The contented became much idiosyncratic for Zavros pursuing the onslaught connected Jewish Australians astatine Bondi successful December.

“When two gunmen attacked Jewish radical connected Bondi Beach connected 14 December 2025, Alex led the federation successful a way our elected leaders failed to do,” said Zavros.

He said helium recovered “common crushed with this antheral who, similar me, is simply a begetter of three”.

“When we met, I knew I wanted to overgarment Alex successful water oregon ‘the sea’, which symbolises so overmuch for Jewish and non-Jewish Australians alike.”

“I included his tefillin, arsenic symbols are so important successful modern culture. All too often, when marking identity, they are used to harm people.”

Ryvchin told Neos Kosmos said it was “It’s an immense privilege to beryllium painted by such a wonderful artist”.

“Given however alike we look it’s astir a aforesaid portrait. I wish Michael large success” said Ryvchin laughing.

As highligted successful various Neos Kosmos features, Zavros’ work is often an “antidote to the frumpy censoriousness which has occupied overmuch of Australian civilization and media”.

He is 1 of the fewer Australian artists to elevate aesthetics, eros and past Dionysian excess, balanced with Apollonian restraint

Zavros has a assemblage of work created implicit the 20 years comprising of beauteous objects, men, and women, of majestic horses, and adjacent elegant memento mori sculptures successful galore ways referncing Classical Greece. His work is besides loaded with irony aimed astatine the beauteous vacuousness of modern elites.

This representation marks a departure. While it maintains the aesthetic Michael Zavros is known for, his depiction of Alex Ryvchin is profoundly reflective, hinting astatine the interaction of antisemitism arsenic overmuch arsenic it reveals Ryvchin’s quiescent strength successful confronting it.