2026 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAAs) winners and exhibitions
Consensus Summary
The 2026 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAAs) celebrated Indigenous artists with Ryan Presley winning the $100,000 Telstra Art Award for his painting *Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed*, a 2.8 square metre work blending Renaissance techniques with contemporary themes like bushfires and Orwellian references. Presley, a Marri Ngarr artist from Alice Springs now based in Logan, Queensland, has been creating art for about 20 years and cited influences from Caravaggio, Beccafumi, and Goya. The painting’s creation over six months and its layered symbolism—past, present, and future—earned praise from judges including Yhonnie Scarce, Julie Gough, and Warraba Weatherall. Jenna Mayilema Lee won the Work on Paper Award for *Taking back taken*, crafted from British Museum maps stolen over five years, while other winners included Barayuwa Munuŋgurr for bark painting and Vanessa Inkamala for general painting. The exhibition runs until 24 January 2027 at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, marking the 43rd NATSIAAs with 64 finalists from over 200 entries.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Ryan Presley won the $100,000 Telstra Art Award for his painting *Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed*, measuring 2.8 square metres
- The painting references George Orwell’s *1984* quote: 'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past'
- Ryan Presley is a Marri Ngarr artist from Alice Springs, now based in Logan, Queensland
- The 2026 NATSIAAs exhibition runs until 24 January 2027 at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) in Darwin
- Jenna Mayilema Lee won the $15,000 Work on Paper Award for *Taking back taken*, made from British Museum maps
- The painting *Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed* was created over a period of about six months
- Ryan Presley has been an artist for about 20 years, graduating from Griffith University’s Indigenous art program in 2009
- The painting incorporates a bushfire on the horizon, referencing contemporary Australian themes
- Ryan Presley’s painting references Renaissance works, including Domenico Beccafumi’s *The Annunciation* (1546)
- The 2026 NATSIAAs were the 43rd iteration of the awards
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Ryan Presley’s painting measures 1.8 by 1.5 metres, not just 2.8 square metres
- Presley has been a NATSIAA finalist three times before, with exhibitions in 2016 and 2020
- His uncle, Laurie Presley, was a finalist in 2007
- Presley has worked as an artist for 17 to 20 years and hopes to continue another 20 years with the prize money
- The painting was created using chiaroscuro techniques inspired by Caravaggio, Beccafumi, and Goya
- Jenna Mayilema Lee’s work references her time living in London in 2019 and her family’s history of NATSIAA winners
- Lee’s project involved recruiting friends to steal maps from the British Museum over a year, starting after her return to Australia during the pandemic
- Lee’s previous work, *HIStory Vessels*, won the Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award in 2020
- The painting depicts a male figure lying on a ledge with a rifle, a dog, and an owl, with dark waters and a bushfire on the horizon
- The judges described Presley’s work as 'a standout' for its 'diverse cultural, cross-cultural, and art history references'
- Barayuwa Munuŋgurr won the bark painting award for *The hidden reef at Yarrinya*, depicting Munyuku clan ancestors and a whale skeleton
- Vanessa Inkamala won the general painting award for *Arrkurla Nukala/Lyaarta Ntema*, exploring changes in her Tjoritja homeland
- Napuwarri Marawili won the Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award for *Djambatj – Deadly hunter*
- Colin Heenan-Puruntatameri won the multimedia award for *Ngirramini Ngini Amparruwu (The story of the widow)*
- Guruwuy Murrinyina won the emerging artist award for *Prismatic arc*
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states Ryan Presley’s painting measures 1.8 by 1.5 metres, while the Guardian only specifies it as 2.8 square metres
- The ABC mentions Ryan Presley’s painting was created over six months, but the Guardian does not specify a timeframe for its creation
- The ABC notes Ryan Presley’s painting references Caravaggio and Goya, while the Guardian only explicitly mentions Beccafumi’s *The Annunciation* (1546) and does not mention the others
Source Articles
Artwork riffing on Renaissance painting and George Orwell wins $100k
Ryan Presley has won the top prize at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards for an oil painting riffing on Renaissance art.
Natsiaa 2026: Ryan Presley wins $100,000 award for ‘monumental’ Renaissance-style painting
Marri Ngarr artist takes home Australia’s most prestigious First Nations art prize for Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed – a ‘dreamscape’ that challenges colonial modes of representation An Indigenous artist’s painting that “presents a recomposed view of the past” and challenges the western canon, especially Renaissance art, has won the $100,000 top prize at the 43rd National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander awards (Natsiaa) . The Marri Ngarr artist Dr Ryan Presley received the awar