Artworks Exhibited in Melbourne
- King for a Day
- Jan 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 7
Photography Showcased at Brunswick Street Gallery
Melbourne, Australia — Brunswick Street Gallery welcomes two limited-edition photographic artworks by King for a Day that will feature in the prestigious Small Works Art Prize 2026 exhibition, opening 4 January and running through 17 January at the gallery’s Fitzroy venue. The inclusion of these works underscores both the Prize’s commitment to showcasing diverse contemporary practice and King for a Day’s rising presence within national visual arts circles.
Now in its 2026 iteration, the Small Works Art Prize stands as one of Australia’s longest-running open-entry art awards, attracting hundreds of artists and close to 1100 works from emerging and established creators across every medium, including photography, painting, sculpture, printmaking and more. Each included work adheres to the Prize’s strict size guidelines (no larger than 35 × 35 × 35 cm), reinforcing the exhibition’s focus on creative impact within intimate formats, so King for a Day specially produces limited-edition prints specifically for the Melbourne event.
Two photographic pieces by the Australian artist collective King for a Day have been selected for exhibition:
“Juan in the Sun” — This full-colour, limited-edition framed diptyic photographic print presents a striking portrait of King for a Day model Juan, captured against luminous sunlit tones and photographed on Australia's beautiful Gold Coast. The work reflects the artist’s emphasis on naked masculine identity, presence and compositional radiance.
“Erik’s New Robe” — Also produced as a limited-edition framed photographic print and rendered with King for a Day’s signature attention to corporeal form and visual storytelling. The work interrogates nuances of self-possession and sartorial symbolism, situating personal narrative within broader dialogues of masculinity and presence.
Both works are presented framed and uncensored at the Melbourne exhibition, embracing the Prize’s ethos of unmediated engagement between artwork and viewer.
The Small Works Art Prize has become a cornerstone event on the national arts calendar, celebrated for its inclusivity and diversity of voices. Visitors can view all entered works during the exhibition period, with the opportunity to attend the gallery’s Celebration Event on Friday 9 January, with Kinbg for a Day photographer in attendance. Prizes totalling over AU$14,000 will be awarded, including major cash prizes, solo exhibition opportunities, and sponsored honourable mentions across multiple categories.
King for a Day notes that the inclusion of photographic prints reflects a broader recognition of lens-based media within contemporary art practice, particularly in forums that historically emphasise painting or sculpture. By situating “Juan in the Sun” and “Erik’s New Robe” alongside such a wide array of artistic explorations, the 2026 exhibition highlights the evolving intersections between photographic portraiture, corporeal representation and conceptual expression.
Visiting Details
Exhibition Dates: 4–17 January 2026
Location: Brunswick Street Gallery, Level 1 & 2, 322 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria
Celebration Event: Friday 9 January, 6–9 pm
Admission: All entered artworks are on display throughout the exhibition; visitors are encouraged to engage with the works and cast a vote for the People’s Choice Award.
For collectors and enthusiasts alike, the inclusion of these King for a Day works at the Small Works Art Prize confirms both their artistic resonance and the dynamic vitality of contemporary Australian photography in national exhibition contexts.
For more information visit Brunswick Street Gallery, or visit the King for a Day Gallery for exclusive and limited-edition art prints.
