Anthony Cahill Wins $30,000 Calleen Art Award for 2026
Anthony Cahill, a painter from Sydney, has been awarded the 2026 Calleen Art Award, which includes a $30,000 acquisition prize, for his oil-on-linen piece titled A Question of Timing, 2025. This artwork, which measures 183 × 137cm, was selected from a competitive pool of fifty-six finalists. The piece explores the absurdity and ambiguity inherent in our surroundings, as noted by the award. Cahill shared that his creative process often starts with a spontaneous thought or an accidental image, leading him to embrace automatism to develop the artwork, incorporating elements of chance. The exhibition featuring the award-winning works is currently displayed at Cowra Regional Art Gallery in New South Wales and will be available until 18 October 2026.
Key facts
- Anthony Cahill, based in Sydney, won the 2026 Calleen Art Award.
- The prize is acquisitive and worth $30,000.
- His winning work is A Question of Timing, 2025, oil paint on linen, 183 × 137cm.
- The work was selected from fifty-six finalists.
- The painting explores the absurdity and ambiguity of the world around us.
- Cahill described his process as beginning with a random thought or accidentally found image, then allowing automatism to develop the work with risk and chance.
- The award exhibition runs at Cowra Regional Art Gallery in New South Wales until 18 October 2026.
- The winning work is courtesy of the artist and the Calleen Art Award.
Entities
Artists
- Anthony Cahill
Institutions
- Cowra Regional Art Gallery
- Calleen Art Award
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- Cowra
- New South Wales