William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize exhibition

Established in 2006 to promote excellence in photography, the annual William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize is an initiative of the MGA Foundation. The exbitition of the 17th annual Bowness Photography Prize features the 54 finalists, selected from 1,334 entries.

© Tamara Dean. I've always wondered when soon is, 2022, from the series, Palace of dreams. Pigment ink-jet print, 160 x 120 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).
© Tamara Dean. I've always wondered when soon is, 2022, from the series, Palace of dreams. Pigment ink-jet print, 160 x 120 cm, courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney).

An image by Melbourne artist Amos Gebhardt, Wallaby, has taken out top honours this year, winning him the $30,000 first prize.

A total of three Colour Factory Honourable Mentions were awarded. They went to Petrina Hicks for her exploration of motherhood in Hercules (2021); Danie Mellor for the large-scale work that incorporates archival and recent infra-red imagery to addresses the rich cultural traditions connected with Country and the history of photographic images that helped to shape the development of Australian colonial and settler identity in The far country (2022); and Sonia Payes for her work, Exoplanet 1 (2022).

© Amos Gebhardt. Wallaby, 2022. 2022 Winner Bowness Photography Prize $30,000 acquisitive award. Chromogenic print (light box), 76.0 x 95.0 cm, courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries (Melbourne).
© Amos Gebhardt. Wallaby, 2022. 2022 Winner Bowness Photography Prize $30,000 acquisitive award. Chromogenic print (light box), 76.0 x 95.0 cm, courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries (Melbourne).

The 2022 competition was judged by acclaimed artist Rosemary Laing, Director of Agency and Senior Curator, Museums and Collections at University of Melbourne, Hannah Presley, and MGA Director Anouska Phizacklea

Shortlisted finalists

Michele Aboud, Kay Abude, Jilamara Arts, Narelle Autio, Jack Ball, Ramak Bamzar,, Arini Byng, Danica Chappell, Miriam Charlie, Jess Coldrey, Michael Cook, Michael Corridore, Sarah Cusack, Rebecca Dagnall, J Davies, Tamara Dean, Damian Dillon, Marian Drew, Rozalind Drummond, Sophie Dumaresq, Stephen Dupont, Odette England, Robert Fielding, Andrea Francolini, Amos Gebhardt, Mike Gillam, Ponch Hawkes, Petrina Hicks, Samantha Jade, Ayman Kaake, Shea Kirk, Janet Laurence, Honey Long and Prue Stent, Janelle Low, David Manley, Jesse Marlow, Janine McGuinness, Danie Mellor, Phuong Ngo, Selina Ou, Sanja Pahoki, Sonia Payes, Patrick Pound, Ruiqi Qiu, Kiron Robinson, Angus Scott, Cecilia Sordi Campos, David Stephenson, Margot Stewart, Cyrus Tang, The Huxleys, Lyndal Walker, Hilary Wardhaugh, and Lydia Wegner.

 Follow this link to view all the finalists.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

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.

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

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.