2022 Info

Over the last 16 years, the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize has emerged as an important annual survey of contemporary photographic practice in Australia and one of the most prestigious prizes in the country. Monash Gallery of Art invited artists to submit still photo-based media including analogue and digital photography created over the last year for consideration. The winning work will be awarded $30,000 and will be acquired into MGA’s nationally significant collection of Australian photographs. The Smith & Singer People’s Choice Award will be voted by the public with the recipient receiving $5,000. One artist will also be selected for the $10,000 Wai Tang Commissioning Award which will coincide with the 2023 Bowness Photography Prize exhibition season.

The MGA Foundation recognises the importance of supporting practicing artists, and the positive impact the $30,000 prize money for both the winner and the $5,000 Smith & Singer People’s Choice Award will have on the recipients.

Acclaimed artist Rosemary Laing and Director of Agency and Senior Curator, Museums and Collections at University of Melbourne, Hannah Presley joined Director Anouska Phizacklea to narrow down hundreds of entries to a shortlist of 54 works to be exhibited as part of the 2022 Bowness Photography Prize.

The shortlist includes an exemplary line-up of contemporary Australian artists and traverses a range of landscape, architectural and portrait photographs. The works created over the last twelve months display a diverse snapshot of contemporary photographic practice in Australia today.

Artists: Michele Aboud, Kay Abude, Narelle Autio, Jack Ball, Ramak Bamzar, Yuriyal Eric Bridgeman and Ben Cook, Arini Byng, Danica Chappell, Miriam Charlie, Jess Coldrey, Michael Cook, Michael Corridore, Sarah Cusack, Rebecca Dagnall, J Davies, Tamara Dean, Damian Dillon, Marian Drew, Rozalind Drummond, Sophie Dumaresq, Stephen Dupont, Odette England, Robert Fielding, Andrea Francolini, Amos Gebhardt, Mike Gillam, Ponch Hawkes, Petrina Hicks, The Huxleys, Samantha Jade, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association, Ayman Kaake, Shea Kirk, Janet Laurence, Honey Long and Prue Stent, Janelle Low, David Manley, Jesse Marlow, Janine McGuinness, Danie Mellor, Selina Ou, Sanja Pahoki, Sonia Payes, Patrick Pound, Ruiqi Qiu, Kiron Robinson, Angus Scott, Cecilia Sordi Campos, David Stephenson, Margot Stewart, Cyrus Tang, Lyndal Walker, Hilary Wardhaugh, Lydia Wegner

Exhibition dates
29 September – 13 November 2022

Award announcement
Thursday 6 October 2022

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