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Melbourne Artist Wins 2026 Archibald Prize
The painting is the fifth Archibald winner to depict a First Nations person, and Lewer was chosen unanimously from 1,034 entries.
- On Friday, Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer won the $100,000 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken, selected unanimously by trustees from 59 finalists.
- Lewer travelled to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in November to paint Ken, seeking to convey her strength as a healer and artist.
- The 198 cm portrait uses a yellow ochre background evoking the landscape's heat, with Ken depicted life-size "so her presence meets the viewer directly," Lewer explained.
- Gaypalani Wanambi won the $50,000 Wynne Prize for The Wanambi tree, while Lucy Culliton received the $40,000 Sulman Prize for Toolah, artist model.
- The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition opens Saturday at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, running until August 16.
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Portrait of Pitjatjara elder and artist Illuwanti Ken wins 2026 Archibald Prize
For this year's Archibald Prize winner, it was sixth time lucky. Richard Lewers' perseverance paying off with his portrait of an Indigenous elder taking out the prestigious award. The piece was selected from more than one-thousand entries.
·Sydney, Australia
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Richard Lewer wins Archibald Prize with radiant portrait of traditional healer Iluwanti Ken
Winner Archibald Prize 2026, Richard Lewer Iluwanti Ken, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 198 x 198 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer has been awarded the prestigious Archibald Prize for his life-sized portrait of senior artist and ngangkari (traditional healer) Iluwanti Ken. Though Ken is small in stature, Lewer’s portrait of her carries what the artist himself describes…
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left4Leaning Right5Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Right
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Right
42% Right
L 33%
C 25%
R 42%
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