Artist Richard Lewer has won the 2026 Archibald Prize with a life-size portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder Iluwanti Ken.
The winning work was announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday, after judges narrowed 1034 entries down to 59 finalists.
Ken is herself a senior artist and traditional healer, and is also a finalist in this year’s Wynne Prize.
Lewer said he spent time with Ken in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia while working on the portrait.
“In person, Iluwanti is a small woman, but she carries immense, quiet authority,” he said.
“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.”
The Archibald Prize, regarded as Australia’s most prestigious portrait award, has been running for more than a century and regularly attracts portraits of high-profile Australians.
This year’s portraits included Sam Mostyn, actors Marta Dusseldorp, Susie Porter and Sheridan Harbridge, musician Mick Turner, surfer Layne Beachley, fashion designers Nicky Zimmermann and Simone Zimmermann, and Alemais founder Lesleigh Jermanus.
The 2026 Sulman Prize was awarded to Lucy Culliton for her portrait of one of her pet greyhounds, titled Toolah, artist model.
Meanwhile, Gaypalani Wanambi won the Wynne Prize for The Wanambi tree, created using spray paint on etched steel.
Earlier this year, artist Sean Layh won the Packing Room Prize for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins-Levy as Hamlet.
The finalists and winning works will remain on display at the Art Gallery of NSW until August 16 before touring regional New South Wales and Victoria.
Image: Art Gallery of New South Wales
