Mosman Art Gallery is delighted to announce the winner of the 2025 Mosman Art Prize is Mark Maurangi Carrol for his work Blue boat (crowd on the island of Mangaia), 2025.
Of the work, the artist says: “This painting reimagines a 1900 photograph taken by Frederick W. Sears on the island of Mangaia, where a crowd observes the government vessel Tutanaekai. In this work, I extract the setting’s conceptual residue but remove the crowd entirely, inserting instead a solitary, contemporary figure (my brother).”
The judge of this year’s Mosman Art Prize is Justin Paton, Head Curator of International Art at AGNSW and acclaimed art writer.
Justin Paton’s recent curatorial projects have included Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day? (2023), Dreamhome: Stories of Art & Shelter, Francis Upritchard: Here Comes Everybody, and the inaugural Nelson Packer Tank commission at AGNSW by Adrián Villar Rojas. He is presently working on Mike Hewson’s major sculptural installation The Key’s Under the Mat, set to open in the Nelson Packer Tank in October.
Now in its 78th year, the Mosman Art Prize is Australia’s longest-running municipal art award and is widely regarded as the most prestigious and relevant painting prize in the country. Established in 1947, the Prize has become a defining platform for contemporary Australian painting; a place where ideas, identity, and the spirit of our times are expressed through the enduring power of paint.
As a national acquisitive prize of $70,000, funded by Mosman Council, the Mosman Art Prize celebrates painting’s unique ability to tell stories, capture moments of change, and reflect the complexities of contemporary life. It continues to foster conversations about who we are and how we see the world, making it a vital cultural touchstone for both artists and audiences alike. The Mosman Art Prize supports and elevates artists whose work engages with the present moment, while also contributing to the broader history of Australian art. The winning works form the heart of the Mosman Art Collection, a significant and vital public collection that traces the trajectory of Australian painting through decades of artistic innovation and expression.
This year’s winning painting will go into the Collection and sit alongside such esteemed artists as Cressida Campbell, Grace Cossington Smith, Lucy Culliton, Guan Wei, Adam Cullen, Nicholas Harding, Lloyd Rees, Guy Warren, Margo Lewers, Jumaadi, Elisabeth Cummings, Natasha Walsh, Michael Zavros and Margaret Olley – who was the inaugural winner in 1947. Last year, Sydney-based artist Gemma Smith was awarded the Prize for her radiant abstract work Pollen Prism, reaffirming the Prize’s commitment to excellence and relevance in Australian art today.
Mosman Art Gallery received over 1,400 entries from across the country, with 72 finalists featuring in the exhibition.
The Mosman Art Prize offers five further art awards in addition to the acquisitive major prize.
Other Awards
- Thanks to the generous support of Gillian and the late Brian Jones, $10,000 is available through the Margaret Olley Commendation Award. Awarded to Tim Price for his work Life’s on Time.
- The Allan Gamble Award, in honour of architect, artist, former Mosman Councillor and founder of the Mosman Art Prize, Allan Gamble, will be awarded to the best painting which explores the theme of ‘the built environment’. This award is valued at $5,000 and awarded to Celia Gullet for her work Variations series VI.
- Awarded to an early career artist, the Guy Warren Emerging Artist Award, valued at $3,000, is supported by Fourth Village Providore and awarded to Emily Galicek for her work Sampler (design for a ceiling).
- Viewers’ Choice Award is supported by the Mosman Art Society and is valued at $1,000 and will be awarded in the final week of the exhibition.
- Inaugural Installers’ Choice award presented by Mosman Art Gallery’s exhibition installers awarded to Jumaadi for his work Dalam Gerimis [In the mist].
Important Dates
- Friday 22 August, 6-9pm: Mosman Art Prize exhibition opening and Prize winners announced
- Saturday 23 August: Exhibition open
- Wednesday 27 August, 6pm: Artist talks: Mitch Cairns, Mark Maurangi Carol (winner), Celia Gullett, Rachel McKay
- Wednesday 15 October 6pm: Artist talks: Karen Black, Nic Collerson, Emily Galicek, Madeleine Pfull, Jason Phu
- Friday 17 October: Professional development workshop for emerging artists
- Sunday 2 November: Final day of the exhibition
The Mosman Art Prize is supported by: Gillian Jones, BresicWhitney, Colormaker Industries, Fourth Village Providore, Mosman Art Society, Godfrey Wines, Quakers Hat Brewing, The Albert Hotel, Mosman and Vault Magazine.
2025 MOSMAN ART PRIZE
Mosman Art Gallery, 1 Art Gallery Way Mosman NSW 2088
Friday 22 August, 6pm – Sunday 2 November 2025
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