Many people attended the preview evening at Southwards Theatre where over 300 artworks are on display, and sale, for the long weekend.
Winning best in show as an artwork called The Keeper, painted by Manakau artist Soraya Bradley.
Her oil on linen panel, worth $1,850 was painted this year and took about 60 to 70 hours to create.
She said the painting had a narrative quality where "even though you're young you feel like you're carrying all of your family's history - like the keeper of the records".
"My mum died quite young, and all of the women in the family were quite young, so I was about 26 and I was the oldest woman on my mum's side, and I always felt there was this sense where you had to carry the history.
"You're not just you - you're sort of part of everybody that came before you.
"But I don't want to make that too overt in the painting so you can read what you want into it."
Proud daughter Arwen Bradley, 19, said, "She deserves it so much.
"I see her work for hours and hours on so many different paintings and it's amazing that it's recognised.
"The painting is one of my favourites as well so I'm really happy this one won."
