Local artworks recognised as the 2026 Moreton Bay Art Prize winners are announced
Moreton Bay Council is celebrating local artist Rachel South, who has been awarded the Moreton Bay Art Prize 2026 for her work Sun-Kissed Chestnut (2026).
South’s work is part of an ongoing series exploring hair as both an intimate trace and expansive landscape. Drawn from digitally and reconstructed imagery, the painting magnifies a fleeting, often overlooked detail.
Judge Dr Simon Degroot said the winning work elevated an intimate, everyday subject into the monumental. In Sun-Kissed Chestnut, the artist demonstrates technical mastery in the painting of light, texture, and movement. The work shows how everyday routines can inspire profound artistic encounters, creating a compelling and thought-provoking piece.
Second place went to Lucie Verhelst for her exhibit ‘The Dance of Compassion’, an inventive two-part structure that dismantles the usual barriers between viewer and artwork. Viewers are invited to physically touch the cloth forms, with the act of handling becoming inseparable from its meaning: “empathy is in our hands”.
Lastly, Blair Garland landed third place for his work ‘Greetings from Redcliffe’, a handmade album of nineteen painted portraits of disappearing local homes.
Dr Degroot said the embroidery, painting, and mixed-media construction showed a sustained weaving together of the domestic and the political, turning what could be discounted as nostalgia into a sharp critique of gentrification.
Mayor Peter Flannery congratulated Rachel South and said the 36 shortlisted artists highlight the depth of creative talent across the Moreton Bay, and the important role arts and culture play in shaping the connected, vibrant communities that make up the City.
“Investing in arts and culture is key to building our vibrant, liveable City,” he said.
“The Moreton Bay Art Prize not only showcases exceptional talent, it helps foster a strong sense of identity and belonging by bringing people together to share stories, cultures and lived experiences.
“From our inland region that borders the mountain ranges to the seaside inspiration of our coastal communities, this exhibition brings our communities together, encouraging people to explore new ideas and celebrate the stories that shape our diversity.”
https://www.sentinelnews.com.au/time-out/moreton-crowns-its-top-artist
