NATIONAL Works on Paper 2026 has opened at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG), with Adam Lee awarded the exhibition’s prestigious $20,000 acquisitive prize for his work You are the wind, I am the song.
For more than 50 years, National Works on Paper has celebrated artistic excellence and innovation, championing the limitless creative possibilities of paper. Widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading art awards and exhibitions, the biennial program continues to showcase the depth and diversity of contemporary practice from established and emerging artists nationwide.
The 2026 exhibition features 68 finalists selected from a record 935 submissions, presenting works that span drawing, printmaking, collage, sculpture and experimental paper-based practices. Together, the exhibition offers audiences a compelling snapshot of contemporary Australian art and the many ways artists continue to explore and challenge the boundaries of the medium.
As the recipient of the exhibition’s acquisitive prize, Adam Lee’s work, You are the wind, I am the song, will join MPRG’s nationally significant collection of contemporary works on paper. The acquisition further strengthens a collection built through more than five decades of the award’s history.
Mornington Peninsula artists were strongly represented in the National Works on Paper 2026 exhibition, with three local artists selected: Jade Lees-Pavey, Rosie Weiss and Neil Williams. The exhibition’s $5,000 Emerging Artist Award was won by Emma Bingham for her work Holding pattern.
The exhibition is now showing at MPRG until 22 November. Visitors are invited to experience the breadth of contemporary paper-based practice and explore the finalist and prize-winning works on display.
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery
Tuesday – Sunday – 11am – 4pm
Free entry – mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au
