A striking porcelain artwork reflecting on environmental change has won the 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, one of Australia’s most prestigious and valuable art awards.

Adelaide artist Deb McKay has received the $30,000 Open category prize for her work ‘The Ghosts of our Coastal Water’, which responds to the devastating impact of ongoing algal blooms on South Australia’s coastal marine ecosystems. The work uses ghost‑like forms to evoke loss, extinction and environmental fragility.

McKay, who also won the Waterhouse Emerging artist category in 2022, was selected from a field of 42 Open category finalists from across Australia.

The Emerging artist category was awarded to Victorian artist Kat Parker for ‘Discarded (Christmas Island Pipistrelle)’, a life‑size hanging sculpture depicting a tiny bat species that has not been recorded since 2009. Parker receives $10,000, supported by Hill Smith Art Advisory.

In 2026, 32 artists were shortlisted in the Emerging category, with additional Highly Commended awards across both categories recognising outstanding works.

Produced by the South Australian Museum, the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize celebrates artistic responses to the natural world and the sciences, including biology, geology and First Nations science. Established in 2002, the prize is named after the Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse.

The winning artworks and shortlisted finalists will be exhibited at the South Australian Museum from Friday 10 April to Sunday 19 July 2026 – visit the website for more information.