SYDNEY.- The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia unveiled the 2026 Circular Quay Foyer Wall Commission, Worra Munga! Ernie and Bert Dreamtime voice by Walmajarri artist John Prince Siddon – the largest work of his career to date and his most significant presentation on Australia’s east coast. Prince's monumental 15-metre-long multi-panel painted mural transforms the MCA’s Circular Quay entrance into an expansive, technicolour world which blends political commentary, desert storytelling and striking contemporary imagery. The work was conceived by Prince between Broome, Boorloo/Perth and Fitzroy Crossing – deep in Western Australia’s remote West Kimberley region.

A highly original and celebrated artist, Prince is known for his vivid, surreal and layered paintings that weave together the traditional craft of boab nut carving, desert iconography, contemporary politics, global events and Narrangkarni (Ancestral) philosophies. His works speak to multiple realities – spiritual, social, environmental and personal – creating rich and complex worlds that encourage audiences to look closer, think deeply and feel with care.

A new Commission filled with Story, Emotion and Connection

For the 2026 Foyer Wall Commission, Siddon brings his signature ‘mix-up’ approach to a monumental scale. The resulting artwork combines painting, metaphor, humour, pop culture, political commentary and poetic imagery.

Worra Munga! Ernie and Bert Dreamtime voice draws on the Narrangkarni, a First Nations worldview associated with the Kimberley that illustrates the interconnectedness of all things.

Animals from different ecosystems, including witchetty grubs, praying mantises, birds, reef fish and kangaroos, are depicted in peaceful co-existence, witnessed by a weeping Ancestral figure. Taking inspiration from his own childhood memories, like those of learning to hunt on Country and drawing upon classic children’s TV shows such as Sesame Street, Prince brings together multiple worlds within a shared space.

An artist whose family history has been shaped by displacement from the Great Sandy Desert and the effects of colonisation. Prince’s art is driven by a sense of political urgency. He dedicates this artwork to all young people experiencing conflict around the world, sharing his vision of an empathetic and collective future where all life is intertwined.

This Commission reflects MCA Australia’s ongoing commitment to showcasing First Nations art and cultures and to deepening its engagement with Western Australian First Nations artists. The creation of the work involved collaboration across the Museum’s First Nations staff, from commissioning the work with Mangkaja Arts to painting alongside the artist during the installation process.

Rebecca Ray, MCA Australia Curator, First Nations Art, said, 'This is a landmark moment for John Prince Siddon and for MCA Australia. Working alongside Prince has been a powerful and collaborative process. His generosity of spirit, his storytelling and his commitment to speaking truths through his art shine across every panel of this work.'

Suzanne Cotter, Director, MCA Australia said, 'John Prince Siddon’s commission is a profound addition to the MCA’s commitment to celebrating the diversity and dynamism of contemporary First Nations art. His work encourages us to see our world differently — with honesty, empathy and imagination. This monumental new work demonstrates why Prince is one of Australia’s most compelling living artists. We are honoured to bring his voice, his vision and his stories to audiences on Gadigal Country.'

The MCA Circular Quay Foyer Wall Commission series

The MCA Circular Quay Foyer Wall Commission is an annual temporary site-specific 15-metre-long work occupying the Museum’s Circular Quay entrance wall and overlooking the waters of Warrane/Sydney Harbour. The 2026 Commission is curated by Rebecca Ray, MCA Curator, First Nations Art, and Tim Riley Walsh, MCA Assistant Curator.

Since 2012, the Foyer Wall Commission has been the site of memorable works from some of Australia’s most loved artists including Helen Eager (2012), Guan Wei (2013), Daniel Boyd (2014), Stephen Bush (2016), Khadim Ali (2017), Gemma Smith (2018), Vincent Namatjira (2021) and Diena Georgetti (2025). In 2024, the Kurdish-Iraqi artist Hayv Kahraman was invited to create the eighth iteration of the Foyer Wall Commission series as part of the 24th Biennale of Sydney: Ten Thousand Suns.

John Prince Siddon

A Practice shaped by History, Country and Urgency

A Walmajarri man of the Great Sandy Desert, John Prince Siddon was born in Derby, West Australia in 1964. Prince spent his early years working on cattle stations before an injury led him to painting. Since 2009, he has worked through Mangkaja Arts in Fitzroy Crossing, where he has developed a distinctive visual language – bold, energetic and laden with symbolic meaning.

Prince’s family history, like that of many Walmajarri people, is marked by displacement from the desert and forced labour following colonisation. These experiences inform the emotional force and political urgency of his work. His practice often balances humour and tension, clarity and ambiguity, using layered imagery to invite reflection rather than prescription.

He paints across unconventional surfaces – from bullock skulls and satellite dishes to pelts, oil barrels and scrap tin – drawing on the Kimberley tradition of boab nut carving. His imagery brings together global events, personal stories, desert iconography and ancestral teachings.

The 2026 Foyer Wall Commission marks Prince’s largest work to date and his first major presentation on the east coast. It follows a period of significant national recognition, including being a finalist and highly commended at the Sulman Prize (2023), NATSIAAs (2018, 2020), and the KWM Art Prize (2018); a major solo exhibition, All Mixed Up, as part of the Perth Festival (2020); and Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia (2021–2022). Currently Prince’s works are included in All That Country Holds, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Boorloo/Perth, and in Sydney as part of the 2026 Biennale of Sydney, Rememory at White Bay Power Station, Rozelle. Prince’s work is held in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), and the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA).