Muswellbrook Art Prize 2026: Finalist

Kevin Chin

19 Mar - 23 May 2026

Kevin Chin’s ‘Bedrock‘ 2025 has been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Muswellbrook Art Prize.

“Through painting, ‘Bedrock’ melds the remains of Rome’s Colosseum with the comfort of a Japanese futon. I’m exploring feeling out of place in a supposedly interconnected world, and the need for respite when everything feels in ruins. The points of colour express a kind of camp calamity – like going back to bed when things are a mess. The pun in ‘Bedrock’ refers to searching for sturdy ground in uncertain times, and reflects on our need to constantly rebuild – both personally and as a society.” – Kevin Chin, 2025

Since 1958, the Muswellbrook Art Prize has grown and evolved and is today one of the richest prizes for painting in regional Australia.
Astute adjudication of the Prize over the years has yielded an excellent collection of modern and contemporary Australian paintings, works on paper and ceramics from the Post War period of the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, with the winning acquisitive works forming the nucleus of what is now known as the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection. Previous winners of the Muswellbrook Art Prize include such key figures as David Aspden, Sydney Ball, Richard Larter and Fred Williams. The Upper Hunter Region is also well represented with a number of local artists being successful in winning the Prize including Peter Atkins, Dale Frank, Lyn Nash and Hanna Kay.

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
1-3 Bridge St, Muswellbrook NSW