Melbourne artist Chelsea Gustafsson has taken out the 2026 Kennedy Prize with a miniature oil painting that packs an extraordinary emotional weight into just 9 by 14 centimetres.
Her winning work, Bonny, is a deeply personal portrait inspired by Gustafsson’s late mother, who lived with dementia. The intimate piece captures the significance of connection and the beauty found in life’s simplest moments.
“My mum passed away earlier this year,” Gustafsson said. “She had dementia and was incredibly frustrated with how it affected her capacity to communicate clearly. Each week we went to the river, and she was delighted to discover an interesting leaf or feather, taking home a small bouquet. It was an enriching part of our day to observe the beauty in the smallest of things.”
Gustafsson, a three-time Kennedy Prize finalist, was announced as the winner of the $25,000 prize during Friday night’s exhibition launch. Judge Jim Thalassoudis said her work stood apart for its sensitivity and quiet power.
“A small, beautiful gem of a painting that is sensitive and intimate, yet quite powerful,” Thalassoudis said. “As people age, they often become invisible, and their world grows smaller. To notice, to care and, in this case to paint what could be a confronting image, but to do it with such beauty and dignity, is why this work deserves to win the Kennedy Prize.”
Kennedy Prize Coordinator Mark Kennedy said Gustafsson’s work is a fitting finale for the prize’s Beauty theme, which concludes this year before a new era begins in 2027.
“Chelsea is a three-time Kennedy Prize finalist, and this work has an incredible power which captivated the judges,” Kennedy said. “Bonny is the perfect statement to close our Beauty chapter, before launching a new era for the prize next year.”
See the finalists
All 50 finalists, including Gustafsson’s winning portrait, are on display at the Royal South Australian Society of the Arts at the State Library until 29 November.
The 2026 Nyland Photography Prize will be awarded on 13 November at the National Wine Centre, with all works on display from 14 November until 31 January 2027.
For more information and to view the full list of finalists, visit kennedyprize.com.au
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