Art News. Vasari Codex

museum exhibitions schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 17 link 10 artists, 1 gallery

Think you have strong opinions about the 2026 Archibald prize? Check out the portraits that didn’t make the cut | Dee Jefferson

The article explores the annual ritual of the Archibald Prize, Australia's most famous portrait competition, through the lens of the 2026 edition. The author, Dee Jefferson, describes the predictable cycle of public enthusiasm, critical disdain, and media coverage that surrounds the prize, noting recurring trends like brown suits, oversized heads, and the dominance of male artists painting male subjects. The piece highlights specific works in this year's exhibition, including a portrait of musician Keli Holiday by Sindy Sinn that the author finds disorienting, and contrasts the main exhibition with the Salon des Refusés, the showcase of rejected entries, which includes a provocative portrait of Patricia Piccinini by Wendy Sharpe featuring exaggerated anatomy.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 25 link 8 artists

Archibald prize 2026: Jacob Collins portrait wins the Packing Room prize as finalists revealed

The Packing Room prize for the 2026 Archibald Prize has been awarded to Sean Layh for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins, titled 'The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke'. The prize, worth $3,000, is chosen by Art Gallery of NSW staff who unpack and hang the exhibition. Layh, a self-taught Melbourne-based painter, drew inspiration from Collins' performance as Hamlet in a 2024 Melbourne Shakespeare Company production. The Archibald Prize main announcement, along with the Wynne and Sulman prizes, will take place on 8 May, with finalists including portraits of Bondi shooting hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, journalists Virginia Trioli and Jan Fran, surfer Layne Beachley, and artist Khaled Sabsabi.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 23 link 23 artists

Archibald prize 2026 finalists: Virginia Trioli, Jan Fran, Ahmed al-Ahmed and more – in pictures

The Guardian has announced the finalists for the 2026 Archibald Prize, Australia's premier portraiture award, featuring 30 works including Loribelle Spirovski's 'Fingerpainting of Daniel Johns', Vincent Namatjira's self-portrait 'The Dust Bowl', and portraits of notable sitters such as Virginia Trioli, Jan Fran, Ahmed al-Ahmed, Layne Beachley, and Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The list also includes the Packing Room Prize winner, Sean Layh's 'The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke', and works by artists like Mitch Cairns, Marikit Santiago, and Michael Zavros, with all finalist images published in a photo gallery.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 20 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

Richard Lewer Wins 2026 Archibald Prize

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) named Richard Lewer the winner of the 2026 Archibald Prize on May 8. Lewer, a New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist and six-time finalist, won the AU$100,000 prize for his life-size portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder, senior artist, and traditional healer Iluwanti Ken. The jury of AGNSW trustees selected the work unanimously from 59 finalists culled from 1,034 entries. Additional prizes were awarded: Gaypalani Waṉambi won the Wynne Prize for The Waṉambi tree, Lucy Culliton won the Sulman Prize for Toolah, artist model, and Sean Layh won the Packing Room Prize for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 18 link 14 artists

Archibald prize 2026: Richard Lewer’s portrait of artist Iluwanti Ken wins $100,000

Richard Lewer has won the 2026 Archibald Prize, Australia's most prestigious portraiture award, for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder, traditional healer, and senior artist Iluwanti Ken. The $100,000 prize was announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with the judging panel selecting the work unanimously from 59 finalists. Lewer, a six-time Archibald finalist, painted Ken life-size against a yellow ochre background, capturing her quiet authority and role as a working artist. The Wynne Prize for landscape painting was also awarded to Gaypalani Waṉambi for *The Waṉambi tree*.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 13 link 16 artists, 4 galleries

Of This Earth: Transforming Culture and Country Through First Nations Ceramics

The National Gallery of Australia presents 'Of This Earth: Transforming Culture and Country Through First Nations Ceramics,' an exhibition featuring over thirty works by twenty-eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, including Thancoupie, Billy Bain, Nicole Foreshew, and Janet Fieldhouse. The show highlights diverse ceramic techniques and narratives drawn from the National Collection, emphasizing cultural continuity and contemporary expression.

newspaper Art Guide Australia open_in_new Read original