MELBOURNE.- The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Top Arts 2026 returns in its 32nd year to showcase the incredible creativity of Victoria's young emerging artists who have excelled in their VCE art studies. Spanning diverse mediums including painting, digital print, and textiles, this year’s works explore engaging themes from natural and urban landscapes to reflections on the complexities of time. From nineteenth-century inspired couture to interactive art using computer algorithms, this exhibition celebrates the extraordinary talent of 43 students selected from more than 1100 submissions across metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Highlight works include fashion designs that employ traditional, handmade techniques to explore complex themes of identity and nature. Lex Blockey's Transformations: A reflection of identity draws from sixteenth to eighteenth-century European silhouettes, using traditional techniques such as hand-embroidery and woodblock printing to explore modern perspectives on gender identity. Keira Williams’ Aboreal reverie combines crochet, fashion and sculpture to explore the connection between human creativity and the natural world. Through pink tones and floral motifs, the gown transforms the traditional handmade process into a contemporary expression of transformation and renewal.

Dylan Hopkins’ work, flow, is the first interactive digital artwork to be included in a Top Arts exhibition. Combining art and computer science, flow uses digital software and 3D rendering to create a system of moving particles. Inspired by kinetic sculptures and algorithmic art, the soft blue particles respond to audience interaction. The work creates a calm, playful space that invites viewers to experiment and watch the simulation continually reinvent itself.

Multiple works in the exhibition explore deep connections to land and place. First Nations artist Rome Jowett-Crociani's double-sided suspended painting BOODJURA (fire sticks) honours Indigenous cultural burning practices and teachings passed down from his Uncle Paul. Using layered surfaces and native gumwood and leaves, the work reflects the cycles of damage and renewal shaped by fire, and how the flame is a vital tool for caring for Country. Oscar Cooke's Mountains to Oceans documents a series of moments connected to the beach through photography. The work reflects the cultural identity of surf communities like Torquay, and the ocean's lure on those who live beside it.

Shaun McKearney's painting Me vs Me stages a boxing match between two versions of himself, each wearing garments representing his Irish and American heritage. The boxing ring becomes a visual exploration of inner conflict, belonging, and the pull between different cultural identities. With a similar focus on identity, Mabel Fowler's photo series Unique is a tribute to the quiet strength and individuality of people living with the rare autoimmune disease, Scleroderma. Through three intimate portraits, Fowler explores how the condition affects each person differently and the unique forms of courage and grace with which they navigate it.

Turning their attention to domestic and personal spaces, many of this year's artists depict how everyday places collect both physical objects and emotional memories. Sayuni Wickramasinghe's painting Burnout captures an everyday moment in the bedroom of a dedicated but worn-out student. Using warm tones clashing with cool hues, the work reflects the tension between relief and exhaustion - the relentless cycle of burnout. Exploring our human instinct to store, collect and repurpose objects, Wilby Fredericks' oil painting Workshop 5 examines the beauty of sheds, studios and workspaces. With a frame made from his sister's old bed base, his father's old drop sheet as a canvas and his grandmother's old paints, the work honours personal stories embedded in things that are saved and used again over time.

Ben Carroll, Minister for Education said: 'These outstanding student artists have demonstrated impressive talent, and it is an incredible achievement to have their work take centre stage at Australia’s most visited gallery.'

Colin Brooks, Minister for Creative Industries said: 'The Victorian Government is proud to back Top Arts 2026 which showcases NGV’s commitment to supporting our next generation of creative leaders. This exhibition is free, and is just another example of the accessibility of arts and culture in Victoria.'

Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV said: 'NGV's annual Top Arts exhibition celebrates the creativity and vision of Victoria's most talented young artists. NGV is honoured to provide these exceptional students with a platform to showcase their work, and we look forward to the remarkable contributions they will make to our creative landscape.'

Sophie Smith, General Manager for Customer and Online, Officeworks: 'At Officeworks, we’re proud to support the Top Arts exhibition for a fourth year as Principal Partner, through the Officeworks Creativity Award, which recognises the most inventive use of materials in an exhibiting artist’s work, committed to helping young artists bring their big ideas to life by providing quality tools at low prices.'