Afghanistan-born, Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist Elyas Alavi is the winner of the inaugural acquisitive Artbank Prize for Face to Face, 2025 – a work exploring belonging, exile, memory, migration, and queer identity themes, drawing on personal and collective histories.
Elyas Alavi, Face to Face, 2025, oil on canvas, 104.5 × 78.5 × 5.5cm / Winner of the 2026 Artbank Prize / Courtesy the artist and Artbank Prize
Judge Ellie Buttrose called it “striking for its quiet emotional power, nuanced handling of intimacy, and distinctive visual language.” Tony Albert praised its “originality and the subtle complexity of its storytelling.” Finalists: Dave Carswell, Cathy Franzi, Annette Galstaun, Sam Harrison, Angelina Karadada Boona, Damien Shen, and Wanapati Yunupiŋu.
Artbank Sydney
3 September to 30 October 2026
Sydney
