Snowy Valleys forest photo wins Sculpture competition prize
Stephen Harrison won the 2026 Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail photo competition with an image of an Icelandic sculpture in a forest.
Stephen Harrison's winning photograph captures Contemplation, a sculpture by Icelandic artist Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir, on the Alpine Ash Walk in Bago State Forest. The solitary figure among ancient trees prompted Harrison to ask why the sculpture was placed there and what its folded arms meant.
David Handley, founding CEO and artistic director of Sculpture by the Sea, praised how the photo showed the sculpture's relationship with the forest landscape. The prize includes two nights at Bondi for the opening weekend of Sculpture by the Sea's 30th-anniversary exhibition, plus a paid day working with the show's photography team.
Harrison's image will be published in About Regional and featured in the Head On Photo Festival Foundation's online magazine. The Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail opened in 2024 with over 60 works by artists from 17 countries across the region.
- Icelandic
- Artist nationality
- 17 countries
- Trail artworks from
- 2024
- Trail opened
- Over 60
- Artworks on trail
Why it mattersThe win highlights photography that captures art in nature and gives an emerging photographer a professional platform.
AustraliaHarrison's success at a Snowy Valleys competition brings attention to regional arts recovery efforts following the 2019-20 bushfires and the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Bondi.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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