An immensely topical and hauntingly beautiful porcelain artwork by Adelaide artist Deb McKay has been named winner of the South Australian Museum’s 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize.
The piece, titled The Ghosts of our Coastal Water, emphasises the devastation South Australia’s ongoing algal bloom has had on the coastal marine ecosystem.
Reflecting on the disturbing aftermath of environmental collapse, Deb says the work “had to be green, and it had to represent the ghost-like creatures that had died.”
Kat Parker from Shepparton in Victoria won the Emerging Artists’ Prize for her piece Discarded (Christmas Island Pipistrelle), a hanging life-size sculpture of the tiny bat frozen in flight.
The last call of this echolocating bat was recorded in 2009, and it has not been heard on the island since.
“I hope that my work can draw attention to the lesser-known species we have already lost due to human activity,” Kat says.
The Waterhouse is proudly produced by the South Australian Museum and is one of Australia’s most prestigious and richest art prizes.
South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton said the winning pieces were beautiful but hit hard because of the messages they deliver about our fragile environment.
“I had the privilege of being a judge for the Waterhouse this year and I was amazed by the quality of the entries,” Dr Hamilton said.
“Deb McKay and Kat Parker are the deserving winners in what was a very close contest.
“The Waterhouse explores the nexus between science and the arts, and we hope the prize and resulting exhibition make both more accessible to more people.
“I urge you all to come and see it for yourself and support Australian artists.”
Photo by Brenton Edwards
The winning pieces will be exhibited among 74 finalist artworks at the South Australian Museum until Sunday 19 July 2026.
More information on the Waterhouse exhibition: whatson.samuseum.sa.gov.au
