Richard Lewer has been awarded the 2026 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder, traditional healer, and senior artist Iluwanti Ken. The New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist, a six-time Archibald finalist, received the $100,000 prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday. The judging panel, comprised of the gallery's trustees, selected the work unanimously from a field of 59 finalists whittled down from 1,034 entries.
Winner's Reaction
In his acceptance speech, Lewer joked, "The best thing about winning this award is I'll never be referred to as 'Richard Lewer, the six- or seven-time finalist of the Archibald,' which is good because I was getting kind of sick of it." He added, "I don't know if there's anything different with this painting or the other paintings or whatever. I think this is the right time, the right painting."
About the Portrait
Gallery director Maud Page praised the winning work, saying, "What can be said? You see the picture. You see the strength of it, you see the poise. You see all of the things that we know makes Australia unique in the world." In his artist statement, Lewer described spending time with Iluwanti at Tjala Arts in Amata, in the APY lands of South Australia. "Being on Country together deepened my understanding of her presence and the responsibilities she carries," he said. "In person, Iluwanti is a small woman but she carries immense, quiet authority. I painted her life-size, so her presence meets the viewer directly. The yellow ochre background holds the intensity of the heat and light we were working in. She loves bright clothing, which feels inseparable from her spirit, and the traces of paint on her arm acknowledge her as a working artist, as if she has just stepped out of the studio."
Lewer noted that Ken is a healer and an important elder responsible for many families. When discussing the portrait, Ken joked, "I want to look good, and I want to look – you know – like a little bit younger and a little bit smiley." Lewer admitted feeling pressure but was happy she was pleased with the painting.
Other Prizes Awarded
Wynne Prize
The $50,000 Wynne Prize for landscape painting and figurative sculpture was awarded to Gaypalani Waṉambi for The Waṉambi tree. Waṉambi's artist statement explained the work is about Wuyal, the ancestral honey hunter. Sanné Mestrom was highly commended for her sculpture What the body knows.
Sulman Prize
The $40,000 Sulman Prize was won by Lucy Culliton for Toolah, a painting of one of her seven greyhounds. Culliton said she had been entering the Archibald prizes "since I was a puppy" and initially considered donating the prize money to Greyhound rescue.
Other Finalists
The exhibition includes portraits of musicians Daniel Johns and Jim Moginie, actor Marta Dusseldorp, and journalists Virginia Trioli and Jan Fran. Adrian Jangala Robertson became a finalist in all three categories: the Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman prizes. The Packing Room prize was won by first-time finalist Sean Layh for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins.
Exhibition Details
The Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 9 May and runs until 16 August, before the Archibald finalists begin a regional tour across Victoria and New South Wales. A total of 2,524 entries were submitted across the three prizes, making the selection process particularly competitive.
