Richard Lewer has been awarded the 2026 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder, ngangkari (traditional healer), and senior artist Iluwanti Ken. The New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist spent a week on Country with Ken, her family, and community to create the painting. The winner was announced on Friday at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with six-time Archibald finalist Lewer taking home the $100,000 prize. The jury, composed of the gallery's trustees, selected Lewer's portrait from 59 finalists, which were narrowed down from 1,034 entries.
During his acceptance speech, Lewer remarked, "The best thing about winning this award is I'll never be referred to as 'Richard Lewer, the six- or seven-time finalist of the Archibald', which is good because I was getting kind of sick of it." He added, "But I don't know if there's anything different with this painting or the other paintings or whatever. I think this is the right time, the right painting."
Lewer worked on Ken's portrait in scorching conditions, with temperatures reaching about 47 degrees Celsius. "I'm a little freckly man, so I burn easily," he told ABC Arts. Speaking about his winning work, Lewer said, "It was so humbling to shine a spotlight on Iluwanti Ken … People should know her. She's an incredible artist. Even though she's quite small in stature, she's a massive personality, very funny, and so warm."
Ken, also a finalist for the 2026 Wynne Prize, works at Tjala Arts in Amata, on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia. She is recognized for her striking monochromatic ink-on-paper drawings, often featuring Tjilpul, the eagles that dominate her large-scale works. Lewer first met Ken six years ago via Jan Murphy Gallery in Brisbane and was drawn to her art, wanting to collaborate with her at Tjala Arts.
He quickly became part of the community, even making tea and foraging for food. "Going out to Country has probably been the best experience of my life. I was talking as I would with any other artist about their making, their materials, their subject. I was taking this time to slow down. In community, you take time out to think and reflect," he told the broadcaster. In his artist statement, Lewer said, "Being on Country together deepened my understanding of her presence and the responsibilities she carries."
Elaborating on the winning work, he added, "In person, Iluwanti is a small woman, but she carries immense, quiet authority. 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. She loves bright clothing, which feels inseparable from her spirit, and the traces of paint on her arm acknowledge her as a working artist, as if she has just stepped out of the studio."
"She's a healer. She's responsible for many families in the community. So she is an important elder. She's also an important artist in Australia, with her ceramics and paintings … And she just cares so much. So I wanted to kind of give back to her in her portrait."
The Archibald Prize is Australia's most prestigious portraiture award, given annually to the best portrait of a person 'distinguished in art, letters, science or politics' painted by an Australian resident. Organized by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, it has been running since 1921.
