SYDNEY.- Acclaimed Australian artist and seven-time Archibald Prize finalist Michael Zavros has won the Archibald Prize 2026 ANZ People’s Choice award for his portrait Alex with his tefillin in the sea, a powerful work depicting Alex Ryvchin, Jewish community leader and Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO.

Voted by visitors to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition, the ANZ People’s Choice award recognises the Archibald Prize finalist work that most resonates with the viewing public at the Art Gallery. This year, 45,769 people voted in the ANZ People’s Choice competition, which is the highest number of votes ever received in the award’s history. First awarded in 1988 and now supported by presenting partner ANZ, the award is one of the longest-running and most popular audience-voted art prizes in Australia.

Zavros’s large-scale hyperrealist oil painting portrays Ryvchin standing in the sea with tefillin, a traditional Jewish ritual object. The work was inspired by an uncanny connection between artist and subject that began years before they had even met. Zavros recalls his mother and several friends repeatedly telling him they had seen him on television, only for him to discover that they were referring to Ryvchin, whose regular media appearances had brought him to national attention.

Intrigued by their striking physical resemblance, Zavros began following Ryvchin’s public advocacy and commentary more closely. Around the same time, Zavros made a personal discovery of his own: a DNA test revealed that, in addition to his Greek and Irish heritage, he also had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Combined with his growing admiration for Ryvchin’s leadership and their shared experience as fathers of three children, the discovery helped Zavros create a work that was as much about connection and understanding as it was about physical likeness.

Following the pair’s first meeting, Zavros immediately knew that he wanted to depict Ryvchin in water. A secluded Sydney bay suggested by Ryvchin became the setting for the portrait sitting, with the sea serving as a symbol of migration, identity, memory and shared experience. Zavros included Ryvchin’s tefillin as a reflection of faith, tradition and the importance of cultural symbols in contemporary society.

Zavros said he was ‘deeply honoured’ that visitors to the Archibald Prize 2026 connected with his artwork.

‘By a strange connection – a physical likeness – I found common ground with Alex and realised that what unites us as Australians is far more powerful than what divides us. It is truly humbling that the work has resonated so strongly with audiences to the exhibition,’ said Zavros.

Michael Zavros (born 1974, Brisbane) is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, renowned for his highly accomplished realist paintings and multidisciplinary practice spanning painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation. Based in Queensland, Zavros has exhibited extensively in Australia and internationally, and his work explores themes of beauty, aspiration, status and identity, combining technical precision with psychological insight. His work is held in major public and private collections, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He has been selected as an Archibald Prize finalist seven times (2026, 2022, 2013, 2009, 2006, 2005 and 2004) and was a finalist in the Wynne Prize 2015. He won the 2010 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the 2012 Art Gallery of New South Wales Bulgari Art Award and the 2016 Mosman Art Prize.

Alexander Ryvchin (born 1983, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian-born Australian lawyer, author, advocate and media commentator. As co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Australia’s peak Jewish representative body, he writes and speaks on social cohesion, multiculturalism and combating antisemitism.

Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Maud Page said Zavros’s portrait had been a favourite with visitors since voting opened.





‘The Archibald Prize ANZ People’s Choice award reflects the special connection visitors form with works of art. Michael Zavros is a masterful painter whose extraordinary attention to detail and hyperreal style continues to captivate audiences. His portrait of Alex Ryvchin has resonated strongly with visitors from the moment the exhibition opened, drawing people in with its beauty and sensitivity.

‘At its heart, the portrait is about connection between artist and sitter, but also between communities, and Australians seeking to better understand one another.’

As winner of the 2026 ANZ People’s Choice award, Zavros receives $5000, thanks to ANZ. One visitor who voted for the People’s Choice award-winning painting is also selected at random to win the People’s Choice voters’ prize. This year the lucky voter is Marina West from Ramsgate Beach, NSW, who receives a $2000 cash prize, also thanks to ANZ.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes and the Young Archie competition are generously supported by presenting partner ANZ.

ANZ Group Executive, Institutional Mark Whelan said: ‘Congratulations to Michael Zavros on winning the 2026 ANZ People’s Choice award for his portrait of Alex Ryvchin. The ANZ People’s Choice award continues to delight, inspire and connect the wider community through art. ANZ is proud to support this celebration of portraiture and creativity.’

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition is now in its final weeks, with all the finalists exhibited at the Art Gallery until Sunday 16 August 2026. Visitors can enjoy late-night entry until 10pm on Wednesday nights during Art After Hours, as well as over the exhibition’s final two weekends on 8–9 August and 15–16 August.

Following the exhibition at the Art Gallery, the Archibald Prize 2026 finalist works will tour to six venues across regional Victoria and New South Wales, offering audiences outside Sydney the opportunity to experience this year’s exhibition.