Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize
Since 2002 the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize has called for established and emerging artists to turn their gaze to the natural world. Named after the South Australian Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse, this biennial prize recognises the long-running interplay between scientific research and the creative arts, from the illustrators and sculptors who help to describe and depict specimens, to contemporary artists who invite us to think about our environment and our impact on the natural world.
The 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize shortlist has brought together a rich and diverse survey of works that map the intersection of nature, science, and art.
The 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize was shown at the South Australian Museum from 10 April – 19 July 2026.
The Ghosts of our Coastal Water
Reflecting on the haunting aftermath of South Australia’s algal bloom, the ghostly colouration of these stunningly detailed sculptures evoke sobering emotions of loss, both realised and prophetic.
By Deb McKay, South Australia
Prize money donated by South Australian Museum Foundation
Discarded (Christmas Island Pipistrelle)
Created by layering linocut prints on second-hand fairytale book pages, this artwork memorialises and informs by evoking the Christmas Island pipistrelle, whose call was last recorded in 2009 and has not been heard since.
By Kat Parker, Victoria
Prize money donated by Hill Smith Art Advisory
Soft Echo
Soft Echo is a delicate glass crown shaped after the flannel flower - a meditation on memory, belonging, and renewal. As a Japanese-born artist living in Australia, I navigate the quiet tension between two landscapes. My childhood memory of weaving clover crowns in Japan resurfaced through this Australian native, a fire-responsive species that returns after bushfire, its seeds stirred awake by heat and ash. Formed in soft, translucent white glass, subtly uneven and shifting, the work mirrors the nature of memory itself - fragile, luminous, and resilient through change.
By Akie Haga, Australian Capital Territory
Prize money donated by Sonya Hender and Ron Langman