Top Arts NGV: Discover Victoria’s Most Talented Young Artists
Every year, I’m amazed by the creativity coming out of Victoria’s classrooms. The Top Arts exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is a reminder that the next generation of artists is already thinking big, asking interesting questions, and experimenting with bold ideas.
Now in its 32nd year, Top Arts 2026 showcases outstanding work by VCE students who excelled in their art studies. The exhibition brings together 43 young artists selected from more than 1,100 submissions from across metropolitan and regional Victoria. The result? A vibrant mix of painting, photography, sculpture, fashion, digital art and textiles that gives visitors a glimpse into the imagination of emerging creatives.
Best of all, it’s completely free to visit. And on until 19 July 2026.
What is Top Arts?
Presented annually by the National Gallery of Victoria, Top Arts highlights some of the most exceptional student work created for VCE Art Making and Exhibiting and VCE Art Creative Practice.
The exhibition offers a fascinating look at the themes young artists are exploring today. This year’s works range from reflections on identity and personal experience to explorations of nature, community, and the passage of time.
For visitors, it’s also a rare opportunity to see how contemporary art begins — not in major studios or galleries, but in school classrooms, bedrooms, and local communities.
Related reading: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia
Angie’s review
Annually, I make time to attend Top Arts at NGV Ian Potter Federation Square.
This year 40+ VCE arts students from secondary schools throughout Victoria were selected to exhibit and it gives us great insight into their talent, intellect, creativity and the imagination of our emerging young artists. I always wonder where we’ll see them in the future as their talent is undeniable. I’ll post a few of my favourites but as always, art is subjective.
Allow yourself an hour to slowly walk around. There are captions with details on each of the artist’s pieces and some also have QR codes to hear interviews.
Highlights from the 2026 exhibition
One of the most striking elements of this year’s exhibition is the diversity of materials and ideas.
Fashion design features prominently, with works that blend historical techniques with contemporary themes. Lex Blockey’s Transformations: A Reflection of Identity draws inspiration from sixteenth- to eighteenth-century European silhouettes. Using handmade techniques such as embroidery and woodblock printing, the piece explores modern perspectives on gender identity.
Similarly imaginative is Keira Williams’ Arboreal Reverie, a sculptural fashion work combining crochet and textile design. With pink tones and floral motifs, the gown explores the connection between human creativity and the natural world.
Technology also makes an appearance in a first for the exhibition. Dylan Hopkins’ interactive digital artwork flow invites visitors to engage directly with the piece. Using software and 3D rendering, moving blue particles respond to audience interaction, creating a calm and playful environment that continually reinvents itself.
Connections to land and place
Several works explore the relationship between people and the landscapes around them.
First Nations artist Rome Jowett-Crociai presents BOODJURA (fire sticks), a suspended double-sided painting that honours Indigenous cultural burning practices. Using natural materials including gumwood and leaves, the work reflects cycles of renewal and the importance of fire in caring for Country.
Photography also plays a role in exploring place. Oscar Cooke’s Mountains to Oceans documents moments connected to the beach and surf culture, capturing the pull of coastal communities such as Torquay and the powerful connection many Australians feel with the ocean.
Exploring identity and personal stories
Personal identity is another strong theme running through the exhibition.
In Me vs Me, Shaun McKearey stages a boxing match between two versions of himself. Each figure represents different aspects of his heritage, turning the boxing ring into a powerful visual metaphor for belonging and internal conflict.
Photographer Mabel Fowler takes a more intimate approach in her portrait series Unique. The work highlights individuals living with the rare autoimmune condition Scleroderma, exploring how the disease affects each person differently while celebrating their resilience and individuality.
Everyday spaces and quiet moments
Some artists focus on the familiar spaces of daily life.
Sayuni Wickramasinghe’s painting Burnout captures a moment in a student’s bedroom, using contrasting warm and cool tones to reflect the tension between exhaustion and relief after intense study.
Meanwhile, Wilby Fredericks’ oil painting Workshop 5 explores sheds and studios as places where creativity and memory accumulate. The work carries personal meaning, created using materials connected to family members — from an old bed base used as the frame to a drop sheet belonging to the artist’s father.
Planning your visit
Top Arts 2026 is on display at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne.
Dates: 13 March – 19 July 2026
Location: Federation Square, corner Flinders Street and Russell Street, Melbourne
Entry: Free
The gallery is fully accessible and easy to reach by public transport, with Melbourne Trams and trains stopping nearby at Flinders Street Station.
Another showcase of VCE students, he Top Designs Exhibition, is on display at Melbourne Museum now and also worth visiting. (The exhibition is included with Museum entry, which is free for pensioners, $10 for Seniors Card holders).
Related reading: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia
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