News
Archibald Price 2026 winner: Richard Lewer
The work was selected from 1034 entries, whittled down to 59 finalists, which are on display at the Art Gallery of NSW.
The life-size portrait shows Ken, an artist himself and a Wynne Prize finalist, in bright colors with paint spots on her arms, against an ocher yellow background.
Lewer, a New Zealand-born artist, is a six-time Archibald finalist.
“I’m really proud, both for Iluwanti and for myself,” Lewer said.
“I am deeply humbled to have won the Archibald Prize, and am especially pleased that this recognition puts Iluwanti in the spotlight, which was always my intention with this portrait. Iluwanti is the most beautiful woman and it was a complete treat to spend time with her and be able to paint her on Country.
“I hope this work recognizes her role as a healer, artist and keeper of the knowledge she carries and so generously shares.”
Art Gallery director Maud Page praised Lewer’s “masterful command of paint”.
”He presents Iluwanti Ken as emerging from the ochre, without conventional perspective, yet her presence as artist, healer and matriarch is powerfully realized.
“Her eyes are particularly striking – her gaze is direct and conveys her strength and warmth.”
The Archibald Prize is Australia’s most prestigious art prize, awarded annually to the best portrait of a person distinguished in the arts, letters, science or politics, painted by an artist living in Australasia.
The winners of the 2026 Wynne Prize for landscape painting and the 2026 Sulman Prize for subject or genre painting were also announced.
Yolŋu artist Gaypalani Waṉambi won the 2026 Wynne Prize and $50,000 for her etching on metal, The Waṉambi Tree, depicting Wuyal, an important ancestor of the Marrakulu clan.
Lucy Culliton won the 2026 Sir John Sulman Prize and $40,000 for her work Toolah, artist model, an intricately detailed painting of Toolah, one of her beloved rescue greyhounds.
This is Culliton’s seventh time as a Sulman Prize finalist, with her 2026 winning work selected from 26 finalists.
Sean Layh, the first Archibald finalist, won the Packing Room Prize for his portrayal of actor Jacob Collins.
Layh saw Collins in the title role of Iain Sinclair’s 2024 production of Shakespeare Hamlet at Melbourne’s 45downstairs theater and contacted Collins to see if he would reprise the role for a portrait.
“Performed by candlelight in a stark physical setting, it blended the dark introspection of Hamlet with the eerie supernatural undercurrent of the plot,” Layh said.
Below is a selection of the 59 Archibald Prize finalists currently on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Be the first to receive your latest news and exclusive stories by following us on all platforms.
