Hatched: National Graduate Show 2026

ABOUT THE EVENT

Marking its 35th year, PICA is proud to present the 2026 Hatched: National Graduate Show. Showcasing recent graduates from art schools across Australia, Hatched offers a national survey of emerging artistic talent, highlighting the diversity and creativity of the next generation of the country’s most promising artists, selected for their creative excellence and unique modes of expression. As the only survey exhibition of its kind in Australia, Hatched has become a much-anticipated program for artists and audiences alike, reinforcing PICA’s unwavering commitment to supporting the next wave of leading contemporary artists. 

Since its inception in 1991, Hatched has featured the work of over 1,400 artists—many of whom have gone on to gain recognition later in their careers—serving as a crucial platform for early-career artists in Australia. In addition to the exhibition, PICA offers tailored professional development programs, equipping the artists with knowledge about funding opportunities, applying for exhibitions and residencies, and ways of making their practices more accessible. PICA also provides month-long residencies to one interstate and one Perth-based Hatched artist every year.    

In 2026, PICA continues its partnership with The University of Western Australia to present the Dr Harold Schenberg Arts Awards, the largest prize pool for emerging artists in Australia—totalling $50,000. 

Each year, Hatched presents work that pushes the boundaries of contemporary art and forefronts experimental thought and materiality. The exhibiting artists in Hatched 2026 are nominated by their lecturers and selected by a panel comprising Tina Stefanou (artist, Hatched alum 2020, VIC), Guy Louden (artist, curator, Art Consultant & Collections Officer, Artbank, WA), Georgia Hayward (curator, PICA) and Mia Palmer-Verevis (Hatched Curatorial Associate 2025-26, PICA). The upcoming cohort of Hatched artists will be announced in June 2026, consisting of up to 25 artists from 21 tertiary art schools across the country. In 2026, PICA is excited to continue its partnership with The University of Western Australia to present the Dr Harold Schenberg Arts Awards, the largest prize pool for emerging artists in Australia—totalling $50,000.