2026 — Hadley's Art Prize

Sarah Wallace, Judith Ryan AM, Abdul Abdullah

Photos: Jessica King

2026 Winner

Robert Fielding

Landscape

synthetic polymer on linen

122 cm x 152 cm

Judges' Comments

An impressive and unexpected landscape which show us the landscape as the artist experiences it. Using the dot tradition from men’s body painting for inma, Fielding depicts wrecked cars which entail long journeys through Country. They encapsulate memory and loss, revealing a landscape which is lived and still sacred.

Honourable Mentions

A landscape made with rich impasto, gestural brushstrokes. Whimsical trees contrast with the bold texture of the paint, while finely rendered clumps of foliage add subtle detail and depth. The strong contrasts in colour and texture create a compelling balance between expressive vitality and quiet refinement.

An arresting composition with a surprising surface harbouring history and memory in the darkness. With melancholic tones, it presents the untold mystery of what’s happened on Country.

This is a masterful work with an ancient visual language that Betty Muffler has made her own. Muffler experienced Country decimated by an atomic bomb at Maralinga. She is a survivor and a healer, a Ngangkari.

Small inner-city gardens are how many people living in urban environments experience nature. This work shows us that art can be very intimate, with extraordinary technique that creates an impact far greater than its scale—something that needs to be seen to be believed.

2026 Residency Prize Winner

Kelsey Ash

Bunuru Nocture, Derbal Yerrigan (High-Summer Night, Swan River)

unique state wax reduction screen print with botanical inks: indigofera tintura, chlorophyll from mulberry leaves, turmeric, musou ink, and photoluminescent pigments: europium, dysprosium, strontium aluminate

160 cm x 140 cm

Judges' Comments

This work captures a romantic nocturnal atmosphere through compelling light effects that create an otherworldly sense of wonder. An innovative reductive screen-printing process is enhanced by the magical use of photoluminescent pigments, allowing the image to transform with changing light. The result is a captivating artwork that lingers between the familiar and the extraordinary. We were impressed with the experimentation and innovation in this work and look forward to seeing what Kelsey creates during the residency.

Packing Room Prize Winner

Presented by Wagner Framemakers

Alice Mannheim

Log it!

oil paint on canvas

84 cm x 112 cm

Volunteer Comments

Unpacking this artwork was a joy. It’s full of life and its unique perspective—looking through a river teeming with aquatic plants—sets it apart from a traditional landscape.

IAS Art Handlers’ Award

Kelsey Ash

Bunuru Nocture, Derbal Yerrigan (High-Summer Night, Swan River)

unique state wax reduction screen print with botanical inks: indigofera tintura, chlorophyll from mulberry leaves, turmeric, musou ink, and photoluminescent pigments: europium, dysprosium, strontium aluminate

160 cm x 140 cm

Comments from Andy Lynch, National Manager, IAS Fine Art Logistics

This is a striking depiction of a moonlit coastal scene that contains within it multitudes for the viewer to revel. This artwork through its complex depth of field and high contrast is immediately arresting but also holds a depth and weight that requires further investigation to truly appreciate. There is a meeting of worlds within this landscape, where traditional romanticism gives way to contemporary processes and artistic ingenuity resulting in an incredibly special piece of art.