Congratulations to David Hayes, Matthew Cheyne and Peter Hudson on their selection as finalists in the 2026 Brisbane Portrait Prize in QLD.
David Hayes is a Brisbane based artist who works in acrylic and resin. His work is rooted in pop culture stylistically but explores the changing themes of masculinity via metaphors and juxtapositions of theme, colour and work titles. David Hayes has been a finalist in the Black Swan Art Prize, Blake Art Prize, Mosman Art Prize, Gallipoli Art Prize and the Brisbane Portrait Prize.
Matthew Cheyne is a Queensland artist, working in oil painting, drawing and sculpture. Subjects as diverse as volcanoes, street hawkers and looters are rendered with the same dark humour. In Australia, his work has been shown at Casula Powerhouse in Sydney and at the Australian National Archives in Canberra, as well as with numerous commercial and public galleries.
Peter Hudson is a Queensland artist who draws largely on contemporary Australian history for inspiration in his art making. His paintings and drawings have a deep connection to country and the natural world. He is represented in the collections of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House in Brisbane.
The Brisbane Portrait Prize celebrates the stories and lives of the people of Meanjin/Brisbane. The prize offers a $50,000 Lord Mayor's Prize alongside $42,500 in additional prizes.
The winners are announced on Friday 18 September at the State Library of QLD, Brisbane.
The exhibition will show from 19 September – 8 November 2026.