Submissions

The Poimena Prize for Abstraction is a new national art prize dedicated exclusively to abstract practice. Established to recognise the significance and ongoing evolution of abstraction within contemporary art, the prize provides a platform for both emerging and established artists. While abstraction has been central to modern and contemporary art for over a century, there is currently no major prize in Australia devoted solely to this field. The Poimena Prize addresses this gap, creating a focused national forum for abstract art.

Presented at Poimena Gallery, the prize invites artists from across Australia and New Zealand to submit two-dimensional works that engage with abstraction in its many forms; spanning painting, photography, printmaking, and expanded media. The finished work must not exceed 120 cm in either length or width, inclusive of frame. Low-relief artworks, in which materials protrude from a flat background to a depth of no more than 15 cm, are also eligible. 

Each iteration of the prize is guided by a single thematic prompt word. For the inaugural prize, the word is SHIFT - an open conceptual point of departure encouraging artists to explore convergence, integration, and transformation through material, process, and spatial relationships. Rather than prescribing interpretation, the prompt is intended to generate diverse responses and stimulate dialogue around the possibilities of abstraction.

The Poimena Prize is a non-acquisitive award, with $15,000 awarded to the winning artist. The recipient will be selected by a panel of respected artists, curators, and arts professionals.

Through this initiative, the Poimena Prize for Abstraction aims to foster critical discussion around abstract art and its continued relevance in contemporary culture. By bringing together a diverse range of practices, the prize highlights the enduring capacity of abstraction to engage with the visual, the material, and the experiential dimensions of art.

The Major Prize winner receives $15,000

• Entrants must be 18+. One application only per artist.
• Entries must be the original, unaided work of the entrant, executed within the two years prior to the entry closing date.
• No AI generated artwork will be accepted.
• The Poimena Prize for Abstraction is open to artists living in Australia or New Zealand.
• The prize is open to two-dimensional (2D) mediums, excluding audio/visual works.
• The finished work must not exceed 120cm in either length or width inclusive of frame. Low-relief artwork in which materials protrude from a flat background to a depth of no more than 15cm is also eligible.
• Multiple panels may be accepted where these constitute a single entry and do not exceed the specified dimensions in total.
• All works must be ready to be displayed with suitable hanging hardware.
• All expenses incurred in the submission of the entry are the responsibility of the applicant.
• Poimena Gallery reserves the right to determine the most appropriate method for displaying artworks, and to refuse to display any works deemed inappropriate or unsafe.
• Launceston Grammar employees and sponsor employees are ineligible to enter the prize. 

• All entries into the Poimena Prize for Abstraction 2027 must be submitted online through this website.
• Ensure you have submitted the correct information on your entry, no additional changes can be made after the submission has been completed.
• A complete online submission means the upload of the following:
  • Entry fee of $40 (non-refundable) payable online.
  • Artist contact details.
  • One digital image is to be supplied as a JPEG file, 300dpi, 2-5mb, saved with the following details as the file name: surname_firstname_title.jpeg. 
  • Entrants are advised to submit a high-quality image as those supplied at time of entry will be used by the Gallery for judging, publication and promotion.
  • An artist statement about the nominated work (maximum 200 words)
  • A one page artist CV.

Applications open on 1 October 2026 and must be submitted by 3 February 2027.

• All entries submitted will be presented for review by a panel, from which 30 finalist works will be selected to exhibit in the Poimena Prize for Abstraction 2027 exhibition.
• Artworks will be shortlisted by the panel based on a set of curatorial rationale including concept, workmanship and originality.
• Once the process has been completed, all entrants will be advised of the outcome. 
• The panel and judge's decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The artworks will be exhibited in the Poimena Prize for Abstraction 2027exhibition from 12 March to 9 April 2027.

Finalists will be notified by email and will be required to deliver the selected work to the Gallery by Wednesday 3 March 2027. 

It is the responsibility of the entrant or agent to arrange all aspects relating to the delivery of the work (whether personally or by an art courier). All associated costs are the responsibility of the entrant or agent. 

Substitutes for works first entered by the closing date will not be accepted. 

The selected artwork must be available for the duration of the exhibition.

The Major Prize winning work will be announced at the opening event on Friday 12 March 2027. 

Best practice in the handling and care of works will be implemented at all times by Gallery staff, however, the Gallery will not be responsible for any loss or damage. Insurance coverage is the full responsibility of the entrant (transit and in-situ) and is recommended by the Gallery. Artwork will not be insured by the Gallery.

It is the responsibility of the entrant or agent to arrange all aspects relating to the collection of the work (whether personally or by an art courier). All associated costs are the responsibility of the entrant or agent. Unsold works need to be collected from the gallery on Tuesday 27 or Wednesday 28 April 2027.

• Poimena Gallery assumes all entries are original and are the works and/or property of the entrant with all rights granted therein.
• By submitting this entry the entrant is consenting to the use of their contact information for the purposes of receiving information about the outcome of their entry in the Poimena Prize. 
• Finalists will be asked to provide a high-resolution image file of their submission for promotional material or publication. The finalist agrees that the artwork may be reproduced by the gallery for critical review, archival and/or promotional purposes. Poimena Gallery is not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant and will at all times attribute authorship of the work.