Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) has announced the exhibiting artists for Hatched: National Graduate Show 2026 — the country’s only national survey of recent art school graduates and one of Australia’s most significant platforms for emerging contemporary artists.
Celebrating its 35th year, Hatched returns to PICA’s iconic galleries from 1 August to 4 October 2026, bringing together 21 artists from 20 tertiary art schools across Australia.
Hatched builds on a legacy of supporting more than 1,400 artists since its inception in 1992 — many of whom have gone on to shape the cultural landscape in Australia and internationally, including Archie Moore, Julie Gough, Dennis Golding, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and Raquel Ormella.
The exhibition continues to provide a vital national platform for early-career artists and, for many, their first experience exhibiting at a major contemporary art institution.
Art school graduates from across Australia are nominated by their teachers and then selected by a panel of acclaimed artists and curators, platforming their work to a national audience and connecting them with their peers from across the country.
PICA CEO Hannah Mathews said Hatched is a landmark annual event that embodies the Institute’s true purpose, serving as a rare moment for Australia’s emerging arts community to come together, exchange ideas and form relationships that can shape future practice.
“For 35 years, Hatched has reflected PICA’s commitment to experimentation and ambition in Australian contemporary art. This annual program is designed to recognise artists at a moment of possibility, and provide a supportive and professionally enriching first-time experience exhibiting within a major contemporary arts institution.
“Bringing this cohort of emerging artists from across Australia together in one place, at one point in time, is a milestone in itself. The Hatched program creates a hub of activity where bold ideas converge, where artists can connect with their peers, curators, collectors and the wider industry, and where new relationships can begin to take shape.
“For emerging artists, these moments of connection are vital, helping build the networks, confidence and professional pathways that sustain creative practice in Australia. Hatched is a true national survey that serves as a launchpad and a powerful point of connection for the next generation of artists shaping culture now,” said Mathews.
Curated by Hatched Curatorial Associate 2025-2026, Mia Palmer-Verevis, this year’s Hatched will see practices spanning ceramics, painting, moving image, installation, drawing, sculpture, photography and printmaking.
“The artists demonstrate a bold commitment to innovative and experimental contemporary art practice. Taming unconventional materials and unpacking complex ideas, these artists offer compelling insights into diverse lived experiences, areas of research and paths of resistance.I’m proud to curate Hatched in its home base, within PICA’s signature gallery spaces,” said Palmer-Verevis.
Among the many artists invited to display their work in the exhibition are many Western Australian graduates including Thomas E. Brown from Curtin University, Kat Chaplin from Edith Cowan University, Jessica Shannon from North Metropolitan TAFE and Tai Kelly from the University of Western Australia.
Hatched: National Graduate Show 2026 at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts runs from Saturday 1 August to Sunday 4 October 2026. Opening Hours 12—5pm, Tue-Sun. For more information, visit PICA.
