Kangaroo skin sculpture honouring 'every survival story' wins 2026 Napier Waller Art Prize
Ron Bradfield Jnr made history as the first Indigenous artist to claim the 2026 Napier Waller Art Prize. His work, Who We Forgot, stood out among roughly 150 entries for its powerful re‑imagining of Australia’s military narrative.
The sculpture is a striking assemblage of carved shells and wood set on a kangaroo skin, its surface adorned with medals fashioned from white ochre, pearl shells and other materials tied to the artist’s family and country. Bradfield describes the piece as a tribute to “every survival story,” linking the continent’s First Nations past with the experiences of those who arrive today.
Judges praised the work for its honesty, noting how it confronts truth, history and the present while fostering connection. The piece now hangs at the Australian War Memorial, underscoring its national resonance.
Other entries that earned commendation included Leah Gordon’s oil painting WRAN, a stark account of gendered abuse in the Royal Australian Navy; Paul Robertson’s self‑portrait Medals to Madness, which visualises the hidden trauma of service; and Kat Rae’s installation Un Pack, a shredded military pack and redacted blanket that calls attention to the emotional weight institutions place on veterans.