Dulux Colour Awards 2026

What the judges said...

“From a trio of exceptional exhibitions, this winner stands out for its innate understanding of the art of spatial manipulation through colour. A survey of renowned ceramicist Lynda Draper’s work, Glimmer’s exhibition design deftly strikes the balance between offsetting the work in an original fashion without overwhelming it. This deceptively challenging task was resolved through a topographic array of modular platforms that undulate through five galleries of the Campbelltown Arts Centre. These platforms physically support the ceramic works while colour, a critical architectural tool, provides the emotional support. Distinct tones saturating each space guide the visitor through the rooms, encouraging moments to pause and engage with individual works as well as experience the whole as a unified retrospective. Derived from Draper’s work, the palette encompasses an emerald green drawn from photographs the artist took during a residency in Versailles and backgrounds her white ceramic towers in the largest room. A smaller space bears a bright yellow, which glows in honour of Draper’s more delicate works. There are moments of intensity, immersion and calm as each gallery is discovered, steeping the visitor in the artist’s accomplishments. The result is an atmospheric antidote to the black box/white plinth exhibition stereotype.”

Ben Peake, judge.