Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley says his winning work invites audiences to reflect on who shapes history, after taking out Australia's richest Indigenous art prize.
Presley was announced as the winner of the 2026 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) on Friday night for his oil painting 'Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed 2026', earning the $100,000 Telstra Art Award.
"Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed appears as a dreamscape that mediates the Orwellian slogan: 'Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past,'" Presley said of the work.
Born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and now based on Yugambeh Country in south-east Queensland, Presley's multidisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, video and writing.
In a press release announcing his win, his work was described as "interrogating the legacies of settler-colonialism" while "foregrounding Indigenous autonomy" and challenging colonial systems of representation.
The judging panel of Julie Gough, Yhonnie Scarce and Warraba Weatherall described Presley's painting as a standout work that successfully brought together "diverse cultural, cross cultural and art history references".
"Ryan's painting is a standout in terms of successfully drawing together diverse cultural, cross cultural and art history references to successfully hold a viewer in affective contemplation about the past, present, future of the figure centrally depicted and by extension the cultural life, memories and responsibilities, they and their compatriots are maintaining, at all costs," the judges said.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory director Adam Worrall said the winning work presented "a recomposed view of the past" through references to Renaissance painting and praised its technical precision.
He said this year's awards again demonstrated the breadth of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and the role it continues to play in preserving culture, sharing stories and fostering greater understanding.
Presented annually by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, the Telstra NATSIAA celebrates excellence and innovation in contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The awards have been running since 1984, with Telstra marking 35 years as principal sponsor in 2026.
Category winners
- Telstra General Painting Award: Vanessa Inkamala (Arrkurla Nukala / Lyaarta Ntema 2026)
- Telstra Bark Painting Award: Barayuwa Munuŋgurr (The hidden reef at Yarrinya 2025)
- Telstra Work on Paper Award: Jenna Mayilema Lee (Taking back taken 2026)
- Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award: Napuwarri Marawili (Djambatj – Deadly hunter 2025)
- Telstra Emerging Artist Award: Guruwuy Murrinyina (Prismatic arc 2026)
- Telstra Multimedia Award: Colin Heenan-Puruntatameri (Ngirramini Ngini Amparruwu (The story of the widow) 2026)
