Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize returns to Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf with an exhibition that highlights the remarkable diversity, ambition and inventiveness of contemporary sculpture.
Established in 2001, the Prize has become one of Australia’s most significant platforms for small-scale sculpture, providing artists with an opportunity to explore ideas through an extraordinary range of materials, forms and approaches.
Across its quarter-century history, it has resisted the idea that sculpture can be defined by a single aesthetic or medium. Instead, its enduring strength has been a commitment to quality, originality and artistic excellence.
For the 2026 exhibition, 49 finalists have been selected from a highly competitive field of 724 local and international entries. The resulting exhibition offers a snapshot of contemporary sculptural practice, bringing together artists whose work reflects the breadth of ideas and approaches shaping the medium today.
The scale of the works may be small, but the ideas are often anything but. Sculpture remains a particularly direct way of examining the relationship between object, material and space, while offering artists an opportunity to address personal, social, political and environmental concerns through physical form.
The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize has consistently embraced this diversity, making each annual exhibition an opportunity to see where contemporary sculpture is heading. The 2026 finalists continue that tradition, presenting an engaging mix of established and emerging artistic voices. Together, their works demonstrate the continuing capacity of sculpture to surprise, challenge and reward close looking.
Adding further significance to this year’s Prize is the $25,000 major award, with the winning work selected by a distinguished judging panel comprising Emily Sullivan, Assistant Curator of Contemporary International Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; arts leader and philanthropist Beau Neilson; and artist Tim Silver, winner of the 2018 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.
The winning sculpture will also enter Woollahra Council’s public art collection, extending the legacy of the Prize beyond the exhibition itself and ensuring that the work becomes part of the cultural fabric of the municipality.
“The finalists selected by this year’s judges come from across Australia and around the world, including the United States and Ireland, and represent both emerging and established artists at pivotal moments in their careers,” said Gallery Director, Sep Pourbozorgi.
“Here, artists reveal the remarkable breadth of contemporary sculptural practice, with works in bronze, paper, glass and ceramics. Assemblage, often incorporating found objects and recycled materials, features prominently alongside 3D-printed and kinetic sculptures.
“Some works explore history, industry and the expressive potential of materials themselves, while others emerge from failed experiments, successful prototypes and the pursuit of new artistic directions. The result is an exhibition that captures the richness, originality and innovation of contemporary sculpture,” said Pourbozorgi.
The 2026 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize finalists are: Anita Johnson, Annabel Lahz, Benjamin Jay Shand, BJ Kim, Billie Baker, Bryant Chitsey, Christian Atichian, Christopher Jewitt, Dean Stewart, Fiona J Schoer, Francheska Coenraads, Hamish Bassett, Harriet Schwarzrock, Jacob Davidson, Jesse Wakenshaw, Kat Shapiro Wood, Katarzyna Dudkiewicz, Katherine Castillo Alferez, Katherine Sankey, Kelly Fatseas, Kien Situ, Kieta Jackson, Liss Finney, Liz Bryan, Lois Basham, Lynda Draper, Madeleine Kelly, Mark Booth, Mark and Simi Eliott, Martin John Oldfield, Matthew de Moiser, Melanie Cobham, Monica Rani Rudhar, Nasim Nasr, Olivia Chin, Omi McCurdie, Robyn Campbell, Samantha Mackie, Sassy Park, Satu Bushell, Saxon Reynolds, Silke Raetze, Simon Chalmers, Thomas O’Hara, Tony Manning, Tony Tran, Tricia Singer, Valissa Butterworth, and Wanita Lowe.
“Over the past 25 years, the Prize has become Australia’s pre-eminent award for small sculpture, and an internationally recognised showcase for creative excellence. As we mark this significant milestone, we are thrilled by the enthusiastic response it continues to receive and excited to welcome visitors to the exhibition of finalists in October to celebrate with us and view the remarkable breadth of talent and innovation on display,” said Woollahra Mayor Sarah Dixson.
An exhibition of the 2026 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Finalists will be on display at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf from 2 October to 29 November 2026. The winners will be announced on 1 October. For more information, visit: www.woollahragallery.com.au for details.
Images: Liz Bryan, Elemental Transmissions (supplied) | Simon Chalmers, National Theatre Skip, London (supplied) | Kien Situ, Empire of Dust (supplied)