Heysen Prize for Landscape Opening Event

The Heysen Prize for Landscape 2026 invites artists to express their deep connection with – or concern for – protecting the Australian environment and to pay homage to Hans Heysen as an artist and environmentalist.

Heysen Prize for Landscape has a focus on the environment and climate concerns. In an era of rapid climate change, battling fire and flood, drought and destruction, Australia has one of the highest loss of plant and animal species in the world.

Hans Heysen raised awareness about the environment through his painting and passion for the landscape. He is noted as an early environmental activist and lobbied to protect trees. He purchased land to preserve the natural environment in and around Hahndorf.

Heysen Prize for Landscape is a contemporary art prize established in 1997 to commemorate the life and work of the internationally renowned, artist, Sir Hans Heysen (1877-1968).

It is a biennial event celebrating emerging, mid-career and established artists and their connection to landscape and place.

The prize is open for 2D and 3D and moving image works. The word 'landscape' includes all possible aspects of the natural, rural, and urban landscape. 

A panel of judges with professional expertise in the arts will select finalist works for exhibition and determine the Prize recipients who will be announced at the exhibition launch at the Hahndorf Academy on October 10 at 6pm.