William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize virtual tour

Enjoy the works of all the finalists and read their artist statements from the comfort of your living room by taking the virtual tour of the 2021 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize exhibition. A showcase of contemporary Australian photography, a total of 52 finalists are on display as part of the exhibition for the 16th annual William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize.

Selected from over 1,700 images from Australian artists, the Prize offers the winning work an award of $30,000 as well as inclusion into the Monash Gallery of Art’s nationally significant collection of Australian photographs.

Melbourne artist, Lillian O'Neil won the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize for her work, Drawing to a close (2020). Colour Factory Honourable Mentions were awarded to Lauren Bamford for her intimate and odd diptych, Easter egg hunt and Dot's apple (2021), to Shea Kirk for his compelling and raw double portrait, Dina Scintilla (left and right view) (2021), and to Ali Tahayori for his altered family archive photograph that speaks to an undisclosed trauma, Sisterhood (2021). Tahayori also received the Smith & Singer People’s Choice Award.

The 2021 competition was judged by acclaimed artist Del Kathryn Barton, MGA Director Anouska Phizacklea, and Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Australia, Karen Quinlan AM.

2021 finalists

Leith Alexander, Svetlana Bailey, Kate Ballis, Lauren Bamford, Gabrielle Bates, Tom Blachford, Paul Blackmore, Christophe Canato, Danica Chappell, Benjamin Cole, Nici Cumpston, Tamara Dean, Marian Drew, Jo Duck, Liss Fenwick, Silvi Glattauer, Richard Glover, Rebecca Griffiths, Joanne Handley, Jesse Harvey, Ponch Hawkes, Joseph Häxan, Petrina Hicks, Edi Ivancic, Angelique Joy, Tony Kearney, Ingvar Kenne, Shea Kirk, Honey Long and Prue Stent, Paula Mahoney, Harry McAlpine, Joseph McGlennon, Rod McNicol, Danie Mellor, Hayley Millar Baker, Mark Mohell, Lillian O'Neil, Meredith O'Shea, Ashley Perry, Patrick Pound, Ruiqi Qiu, Tonina Ryan, Amber Schmidt, Jessica Schwientek, Christopher Sheils, Melissa Spiccia, Ali Tahayori, Christian Thompson, Angela Tiatia, James Tylor, Justine Varga, Amy Woodward.

 

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April

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

May

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

June

Sydney: Until 6 July. Presenting the results of the 2025 World Press Photo Contest, the annual exhibition showcases the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography of the last year.

Melbourne: June 5 - 16 August 2025. The explore the history of Alan Adler's photobooths and their cultural significance, alongside visual stories told by the community.

Adelaide: 7 June – 16 August. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this photographic exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance.

Melbourne: 7 June – 31 August. Protest is a Creative Act seeks to address issues around the body, sexuality, race, national identity and the environment.

Canberra; June 19 - July 12 2025. The River Report is a five-day map of when a normal Yitilal (wet season) turned into a major disaster and the local inhabitants were once again displaced.