Archibald prize 2026: Richard Lewer portrait of artist Iluwanti Ken wins $100,000
Summary
Richard Lewer won the 2026 Archibald prize, a $100,000 award, for his portrait of Iluwanti Ken, a Pitjantjatjara elder and artist. The prize is given each year to the best portrait of a notable Australian, selected from over 1,000 entries and judged by the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ trustees.Key Facts
- Richard Lewer is a New Zealand-born artist based in Melbourne.
- His winning portrait features Iluwanti Ken, a traditional healer and senior artist from South Australia.
- The Archibald prize has been awarded annually since 1921 for portraits of important Australians in art, letters, science, or politics.
- The 2026 prize had 1,034 entries, with 59 finalists shortlisted.
- Other finalists included portraits of musicians, actors, and journalists like Daniel Johns and Virginia Trioli.
- The Wynne prize for landscape and figurative sculpture, worth $50,000, was awarded to Gaypalani Waṉambi for The Waṉambi tree.
- The Sulman prize, of $40,000 for genre and subject painting, went to Lucy Culliton for her painting of a greyhound named Toolah.
- The prizes were presented at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
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