Broken Hill City Art Gallery is proud to announce Lucas Guilbert as the winner of the 2026 Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, with his striking timber sculpture Ignifolia. Selected from 319 entries and exhibited among 50 finalists from across Australia, Guilbert's work was awarded the $20,000 acquisitive First Prize and will become part of the Gallery's nationally recognised permanent collection.
More than 200 artists, visitors and supporters attended the official opening of the 2026 Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, celebrating one of Australia's leading regional acquisitive art prizes and the announcement of this year's award winners. The evening also marked the opening of the finalist exhibition, showcasing 50 contemporary artworks from artists across Australia.
Second Prize was awarded to Maurizio Paul Hirmer for Plumage: Kalthi - Emu, an intricate textile work that combines couture, traditional craftsmanship and sustainable materials to explore the ecological and cultural significance of Australia's largest native bird.
The awards were judged by acclaimed Australian artist Peter Sharp, Senior Lecturer at UNSW School of Art & Design, and Megan Monte, Director of Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, who praised the exceptional calibre and diversity of this year's finalists.
Gallery & Museum Manager Kathryn Graham said the 2026 exhibition demonstrated the continuing strength of contemporary Australian art and the enduring appeal of the Pro Hart Outback Art Prize.
"The quality of this year's exhibition has been exceptional. The diversity of ideas, materials and approaches reflects the many ways artists continue to interpret the Australian outback, and we congratulate Lucas and Maurizio on their outstanding achievements."
The judges selected Ignifolia for its compelling interpretation of the Australian outback through material, form and concept.
In their citation, Peter Sharp and Megan Monte wrote:
"The Prize invites artists to reflect on the spirit, beauty and complexity of the Australian outback. For us, Lucas Guilbert's Ignifolia offered a compelling response.
"We were drawn to the sensitivity with which Lucas has worked with his materials. His technical skill is clear, yet the sculpture never feels overworked. Instead, it is the character of the eucalyptus - its grain, shape and natural variations - that drew us in. There is real respect in that restraint.
"The piece has an almost weightless quality, yet it remains grounded by the density of the timber. Rather than depicting the outback, this work offers a way of thinking about it as a place shaped by adaptation and renewal. It suggests that resilience is not simply about force, but about the capacity to respond, transform and begin again."
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Lucas Guilbert now lives and works in Barringhup, Victoria, where he has established a sculptural practice centred on reclaimed Australian timber. Predominantly self-taught, Guilbert's work explores the relationship between material, place and time, using carving, burning, bleaching and other processes to reveal rather than conceal the history held within each piece.
His winning work, Ignifolia, is carved from the lignotuber of a Silver Princess eucalyptus, a subterranean structure that enables the tree to regenerate after fire, drought and disturbance. Hidden beneath the soil, the lignotuber stores dormant buds and energy, becoming a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal.
In his artist statement, Guilbert describes the sculpture as a celebration of this remarkable adaptation, revealing a form that speaks of resilience, renewal and the persistence of life. He explains that, shaped by both natural forces and the artist's hand, Ignifolia invites reflection on the latent strength that lies concealed beneath the surface.
Second Prize recipient Maurizio Paul Hirmer is a fashion designer and feather artisan whose practice spans wearable art, sculpture and body ornamentation. Inspired by organic structures and committed to ecological sustainability, Hirmer combines revived historical craftsmanship with contemporary textile techniques to create works that foster a deeper connection between people and the natural world.
His award-winning work, Plumage: Kalthi - Emu, presents a hand-crafted couture garment that exists between sculpture and textile landscape. Constructed from individually hand-sewn, ethically sourced emu feathers and biodegradable materials, the work reflects Australia's interconnected ecosystems while drawing on the geological history of Broken Hill through embedded minerals including amethyst, lapis lazuli, jasper and carnelian.
In his artist statement, Hirmer describes the work as:
"A coexistence between human creation and the ecosystem from which it emerges."
He explains that the garment functions as "a speculative biological archive", suggesting a future textile document of the Australian outback while celebrating the resilience, adaptability and enduring connection between land, wildlife and craftsmanship.
The 2026 Pro Hart Outback Art Prize exhibition showcases 50 outstanding contemporary artworks spanning sculpture, painting, textiles, photography, ceramics and mixed media, offering diverse interpretations of the Australian outback by artists from across the country. The exhibition remains on display at Broken Hill City Art Gallery until 25 October 2026, with visitors also invited to vote for the People's Choice Award.
