The 2025 Archibald Prize Finalists
Announcing the 2025 Archibald Prize Finalists—from 904 submissions, 57 portraits have emerged as finalists, each one a distinct reflection of Australia’s evolving cultural and artistic landscape.
Winner of the 2025 Packing Room Prize, No mountain high enough by Abdul Abdullah. *Hero banner image: Felix Cameron by Jeremy Eden.
With the shadow by Clare Thackway.
New Madonna by Brittany Jones.
Finger painting of William Barton by Loribelle Spirovski.
“It’s always an honour to be named an Archibald finalist, and especially meaningful to be chosen for the Packing Room Prize.”
Ken Done by Fiona Lowry.
Savanhdary by Kerry McInnis.
Lette loose by Sally Ryan.
The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick by Natasha Walsh.
Self-portrait with two cats by Yvette Coppersmith.
Meditation on time (a left-handed self-portrait) by Tsering Hannaford.
The 2025 Archibald Prize finalists have been revealed, with 57 artists selected from a remarkable 904 entries.
Among them, Abdul Abdullah has been awarded this year’s Packing Room Prize for No Mountain High Enough, a portrait of longtime friend and fellow artist, Jason Phu.
Now a seven-time Archibald finalist, Abdullah’s work was selected by the team at the Art Gallery of New South Wales responsible for receiving and hanging the entries—colloquially known as the Packing Room.
‘We were instantly drawn to Abdul Abdullah’s portrait of Jason Phu,’ shares Alexis Wildman, senior installation officer. ‘Both artists use wit and a distinct visual language to navigate layered cultural narratives. On a technical level, the painting is exceptional—it captures Jason as a kind of lone ranger, a quiet hero moving through today’s social terrain. It sparked immediate conversation among the team.’
For Abdul, the portrait is deeply personal. ‘It’s always an honour to be named an Archibald finalist, and especially meaningful to be chosen for the Packing Room Prize,’ he says. ‘Jason is my best friend—we speak daily. I’ve painted him as I see him: an explorer, a shapeshifter, someone who’s always mid-conversation, offering his unique perspective to whoever needs it most.’
Winners of the 2025 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes will be announced on Friday 9 May. The full exhibition opens at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday 10 May through Sunday 17 August 2025.
To explore the full list of finalists, find out more about this year’s exhibition and purchase tickets, visit the Art Gallery’s website.