Bayside Painting Prize 2026: Finalist

Kevin Chin

1 May - 14 Jun 2026

Kevin Chin’s ‘Unwinding’ 2025 has been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Bayside Painting Prize.⁠
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“In this pieced-together dream-space that only exists through painting, ‘Unwinding’ tests how landscape and architecture converge to open spaces where we can fit in. Here, the comfort of domestic interiors and the expansiveness of nature paradoxically interweave, because both connect us to feelings of safety and respite.

My interest in this state of mind stems from personal migrant and travel experiences, but extends to the collective global search for sturdy ground during confusing times. The painting pulls together imagery from across continents. Skies, lakes, windows, reflections, walls: Painterly surfaces create openings and slippages, to test how we orient ourselves in this supposedly interconnected world.

The neo-futuristic, green architecture, that feels somewhat ubiquitous, references this contemporary age of connectedness yet uncertainty. The title, ‘Unwinding,’ refers to escaping through greenspace – nature, urban planning, or even just daydreams – and how our sense of place can unwind around a painted pole.” – Kevin Chin, 2025⁠
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The Bayside Painting Prize is nationally recognised as Melbourne’s premier painting prize. The finalist exhibition brings together a broad range of artists from across Australia, both established and lesser known, whose varied approaches to the painted medium convey the breadth and diversity of painting in Australia today.⁠
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Bayside Gallery⁠
Brighton Town Hall, Brighton VIC⁠