2026 ACAR Art Prize

2026年澳中艺术奖展览

view the 2026 ART PRIZE exhibition

MEET THE 2026 ART PRIZE FINALISTS

2026 Winners

WINNER

ACAR ART PRIZE (ACQUISITIVE) - $100,000

Peter Godwin
Li River (Pale Peak and Mist), Painting

Abstract painting with dark and muted tones, featuring large, blurry shapes that resemble mountains or cliffs, with some black and white drips and streaks at the bottom.

WINNER - Digital Art Award, $5,000

(supported by BlackDiamondz)

Xue Geng
Seven-Day Dream, Video

Collection of abstract digital art images with poetic text overlay. Top row: ghostly deer figures in moonlit landscape. Second row: glowing blue jellyfish-like creatures and a close-up of luminous eyes. Third row: rugged mountain scene with sleeping soldiers and glowing structures. Fourth row: fiery imagery with a glowing deer figure and embers. Fifth and sixth rows: translucent animal shapes and figures illuminated from within, resembling a deer, a horse, and a dog. Bottom row: digital landscape of buildings and water with poetic text about a house and memories.

WINNER - Supernova Award, $5,000

(supported by BlackDiamondz)

Ziyuan Shi
Echo, Installation

A digital display of a nature scene with trees and rocks is set up on rocks in a dark, modern room with wooden walls and vertical windows.

A split-image artwork featuring a stylized pink and purple tree with green circular leaves on the left, against a red patterned background with a seagull flying nearby; on the right, a scene of a room with a balcony, blue patterned wall, green mountains, moon in the sky, and a table with a teapot and teacup.

WINNER - People's Choice Award, $5,000

Supported by Stephen Fitzpatrick and
Beatrice Rodriguez

Dongwang Fan Day and Night, Painting

Highly Commended

Xiaoxue Zhang
To install a heart in Taihu rock, Installation

A sculpture of a distorted human face on display outdoors, with a traditional building and green foliage in the background.

Commended

Deirdre Bean
Hay #2 Still LIFE, Painting

Large rectangular hay bale on a table with a landscape background.

Commended

Suxuan Jiang
Micro-Nano Landscape, Video

Black and white collage of three different water fountain images: the first depicts a water fountain with rocks in the background, the second shows a water jet in mid-air creating a spray, and the third is a close-up of a water stream with ripples.

2026 ACAR Art Prize Finalists

Aixiao Li

Angela Malone

Angus Nivison

Baohua Li

Belinda Fox

Charlie Sheard

Chloe So

Christopher Hodges

Dapeng Liu

David Collins

Deirdre Bean

Deqing Zhang

Dongwang Fan

Euan Macleod

Hong Tong

Hongsheng Zhao

Huiyi Xiao

Janet Laurence

Jenna Lee

Jesse Dayan

Jessica Bradford

Site Meng

Siying Zhou

Sonia Martignon

Susan Hipgrave

Suxuan Jiang

Tianli Zu

Tim Allen

Xiangjie Wang

Xiaomin Mina Zhang

Xiaoping Zhou

Xiaoxue Zhang

Xifa Yang

Xin Cang

Xue Geng

Yongji Shen

Yongliang Yang

Yu Cao

Zheng Wang

Ziyao Sun

Ziyuan Shi

Jiaqin Zhang

Jinlong Xu

Joe Furlonger

John R Walker

Jun Chen

Ju-shih Li

Juz Kitson

Leon Zhan

Lin Pan

Lindy Lee

Linlin Li

Martin Claydon

Michelle Hungerford

Naomi Hobson

Peter Godwin

Ping Chen

Qingyan Hu

Rainbow Chan

Rosemary Lee

Shaomin Shen

Shuran Zhang

ACAR Art Prize Exhibition

18 April - 1 August 2026

ACAR ARTS CENTRE

62 Atchison St, St Leonards, NSW 2065

Wednesday: by appointment only
Thursday - Friday: 11am - 4pm
Saturday: 11am-3pm

Closed on Public Holidays

2026 Judging Panel

A man with glasses and light-colored hair wearing a black puffer jacket and a light blue checkered shirt standing in front of a colorful mural with fish and abstract patterns.

John McDonald

Art critic

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing pink glasses, a black polka dot dress, and earrings, stands outdoors against a sandstone wall, smiling at the camera.

Dr Kristen Sharp

Director and CEO, National Art School

A woman with short, wavy brown hair, wearing a black top, sunglasses hanging on her chest, and hoop earrings, standing in front of a black and white abstract painting in an art gallery, carrying a white handbag.

Prof SHAO Yiyang

Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing