Narratives on canvas.

It continues to provide a platform for artists to reflect on the present moment, and invites audiences to interact with how those ideas unfold on canvas.

Steven Alderton, director of Mosman Art Gallery, speaks to the Prize's ongoing relevance in the local and wider Sydney community, “At its core, it's about painting. It's about narratives and ideas that are going on today - how artists see those and how they translate what's going on in society, going on in the world. This is where all different forms of painting - be it landscape, environment, abstract, types of subject matter, narratives and ideas come to the fore.”

The diversity is part of the draw. Visitors return again and again, finding new details and perspectives each time. In a period of rapid social and cultural change, the role of artists has never felt more vital. Their work doesn’t just interpret the world, it records it, questions it, and occasionally reimagines it altogether.

Painting remains central to that process. Even with new media and technologies expanding the ways stories are told, the Prize reinforces that the canvas remains as one of the most powerful spaces for expression. 

The Mosman Art Prize is notable for the range of artists it draws. Established names, mid- to late-career practitioners, and emerging painters share the same walls. This interplay between experience and experimentation keeps the prize current, allowing traditions to be revisited, challenged, and reframed through contemporary eyes.

What unites the finalists is their commitment to paint as a medium: its tactility, its history, its ability to hold both personal and universal stories. Whether through layers of abstraction, detailed figuration, or bold interpretations of landscape - these artists continue to demonstrate the enduring relevance of painting in Australian culture.

More than a prize, Mosman has become part of the nation’s cultural identity. It is a space where ideas are made visible, and where audiences are reminded of the value of art in navigating the complexity of the present.

The Mosman Art Prize is proudly supported by BresicWhitney, sponsor of the Allan Gamble Award, awarded to Celia Gullet for her work Variations Series VI, 2024.

The Mosman Art Prize 2025 is currently available to view at the Mosman Art Gallery until 2nd November 2025. Entry is free - click here for more information.