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Lewer Wins Archibald for Elder Portrait
8 May
Summary
- Richard Lewer won the $100,000 Archibald prize for his portrait of Iluwanti Ken.
- The Archibald Prize honors distinguished individuals in arts, letters, science, or politics.
- The exhibition of prize winners opens May 9 and runs until August 16.
Richard Lewer, a Melbourne-based artist, has been awarded the 2026 Archibald prize, worth $100,000, for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder Iluwanti Ken. The announcement was made at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday, May 8, 2026. The judging panel unanimously selected Lewer's work from a pool of 59 finalists.
Lewer described his immersive experience creating the portrait in South Australia's APY lands, highlighting Ken's quiet authority and vibrant spirit. The Archibald Prize, established in 1921, celebrates the best portrait of a distinguished Australian resident.
This year's exhibition also features portraits of musicians, actors, and journalists. The Wynne prize for landscape painting was awarded to Gaypalri Waṉambi, and Lucy Culliton won the Sulman prize for genre painting.
The Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, May 9, 2026, and will run until August 16. A regional tour will follow in Victoria and New South Wales.
