Awarded to a 3D free-standing sculpture inspired by the Australian landscape, the inaugural nonacquisitive $10,000 Paddo Sculpture Prize winner has been announced as Jane Theau for Charred, 2026 – one of a series of woven horsehair sculptures that respond to the reality of wildfires and their increasing frequency on our heating planet.
Jane Theau, Charred, 2026, woven horsehair, 20 × 25 × 35cm / Winner of the 2026 Paddo Sculpture Prize / Courtesy the artist and Paddington Art Prize
With a practice grounded in tactility, the artist selected horsehair as a tactile medium – it beckons the hand, and it is produced by skin. The series began after the devastating bushfires of 2019/20, with each year since bringing similar conflagrations here and in other parts of the world: flammable catastrophes that seem to be the new norm globally.
Eugenie Kawabata was the $3,000 Honourable Mention Sculpture Award winner for Botanica Exotica: Takayna #5, 2025, while Nathan Nhan was the $1,000 Highly Commended winner for his sculpture Trophy #85 Obsession, 2026. The Paddo Sculpture Prize Eramboo Residency Award winner was Shaunagh Ashby and the Packer’s Pick sculpture prize winner was Stephanie Hart.
2026 Paddington Art Prize installation shot / Courtesy the artists and Paddington Art Prize
Paddington Art Prize
16 to 25 October 2026
Sydney
11am–5pm daily
Council House level 1
111 Queen St Woollahra
entry via Dorhauer Lane
There will be an Art Panel Talk on Sat Oct 24, 12–1pm, with Julie Nicholson (artist & Artw**k Podcaster), speaking with 2026 winners Donovan Christie, Bronte Leighton Dore, Stephanie Monteith, Stephanie Hart, and Shaunagh Ashby.
