Winning teen artist proves elusive

Photo / supplied

One of three teen artists to take out a New Zealand Post award is proving elusive.

The teen, known only as Coal, entered their tapas cloth through a Facebook page in a competition run in conjunction with the International Arts Festival.

The Judges - singer/songwriter Maisey Rika, contemporary artist Michel Tuffery, festival artistic director Lissa Twomey and master glass artist Katie Brown - sorted through about 500 entries to select the three winners.

"But one of the winners is proving elusive - and may miss out on their prize. All that we know about this artist is that he or she is from Auckland, goes by the name of 'Coal', and is 15 years old," NZ Post head of sponsorship Nicola Airey said.

"We've been messaging and emailing Coal for the past week but have had no response.

"It's thought the person painted on the tapas cloth may be the Premier of Niue - Toke Talagi - but without any contact from Coal we're unable to say for sure.

"It's a real humdinger of a mystery, and we hope Coal gets in contact with us soon so she can claim her prize."

The other two winners were easier to track down. Elliot Gonzales, a Year 13 student at Freyberg High School in Palmerston North, was recognised for his detailed ink on paper creations, while Indi Force, a Year 13 student at ACG Senior College in Auckland, won for her prowess in the music and visual arts fields.