Fremantle-based artist Amy Perejuan-Capone has won the 2026 Invitation Art Prize, receiving $25,000 for her installation Vdes II, which will become part of the City of Joondalup’s permanent art collection.
The announcement was made at the launch of the exhibition at the Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery on Saturday 24 October.
Inspired by memorial spaces and objects used to preserve sacred items, Vdes II explores loss, the cycle of life and the connection between humans and the natural world. The installation artwork features 144 handmade ceramic tiles, each with a small bee encased in metal and resting in an impression made by the artist’s thumb.
The judging panel, made up of Myles Russell-Cook, Artistic Director and CEO of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; artist Erin Coates, winner of the 2008 Invitation Art Prize; and Felicity Johnston, Director of Art Collective WA, were unanimous in awarding the prize to Perejuan-Capone, describing Vdes II as an “essential and timely work” that considers the relationship between humanity and the natural world.
The judges praised the contrast between the carefully arranged tiles and the delicate bees, saying the work encourages visitors to appreciate the installation as a whole and take a closer look at each individual bee.
The 2026 Invitation Art Prize attracted 91 entries, from which ten artists were shortlisted by an independent selection panel. The shortlisted artists represent a range of practices and locations across Western Australia, from Kununurra on Mirriwong Country and Broome on Yawuru Country in the north to Bunbury and Busselton in the south on Wardandi Country. Three First Nations artists are represented in the exhibition.
The ten shortlisted artists are David Attwood, Amanda Bell, David Brazier, Christophe Canato, Jacky Cheng, Brett Leigh Dicks, Louise Malarvie, Amy Perejuan-Capone, Ash Tower and Ben Galmirr Ward.
City of Joondalup Mayor Daniel Kingston said the Invitation Art Prize played an important role in supporting WA artists and growing the City’s art collection.
“The Invitation Art Prize gives our community the opportunity to experience the ideas, perspectives and creative practices of some of the state’s leading visual artists.
“By acquiring the winning artwork, the City is not only recognising artistic excellence but also building a collection that reflects our community and the times we live in.
“Congratulations to Amy Perejuan-Capone on this achievement. We look forward to welcoming Vdes II into the City’s collection, where it will be held for the community and contribute to Joondalup’s evolving cultural story.”
Perejuan-Capone said the work grew from a desire to slow down and pay attention to the fleeting moments and relationships that shape life.
“My artwork, Vdes II, is an attempt to acknowledge the sacred, fragile and cyclical nature of existence. By giving each bee its own resting place, I wanted to explore the interconnectedness of life on Earth and the relationship between the ecological and spiritual, and organic and inorganic, ” she said.
“The process became a daily ritual of care and contemplation, allowing me to focus on each tiny body and consider how all life is connected.”
Since its launch in 1998, the Invitation Art Prize has supported more than 700 artists and helped grow the City’s permanent art collection through its acquisitive prize.
The exhibition’s public program includes a Noongar stargazing experience exploring Aboriginal constellations and stories of the night sky, a tea ceremony inspired by Jacky Cheng’s work, an artist talk featuring local artists, and a paper-folding workshop led by Cheng.
Visitors can also vote for their favourite work in the $500 Popular Choice Award, with the winner announced after the exhibition closes.
All works are available for purchase, with the winning piece joining the City’s permanent collection.
The 2026 Invitation Art Prize exhibition runs from Thursday 29 October to Saturday 12 December at Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery. Entry is free, with the gallery open Thursday to Saturday, 10am–4pm.
For updates and other arts opportunities, sign up to the Arts in Focus eNewsletter at joondalup.wa.gov.au/enews-signup.
Image: Amy Perejuan-Capone, winner of the 2026 Invitation Art Prize pictured with her winning artwork Vdes II, 2026.