A Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) graduate has been awarded the Maddocks Art Award for her work fusing contemporary surrealism with raw and industrial materials.

Mira Gojak accepted the accolade, with a value of $6,000, to fund her study tour of the Venice Biennale 2005.

Maddocks, which has been sponsoring the Venice Biennale since 2001, said the motivation for the firm’s investment is “an investment in fostering the personal and professional growth of Australian artists of tomorrow”.