Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize

Since 2002 the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize has called for established and emerging artists to turn their gaze to the natural world. Named after the South Australian Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse, this biennial prize recognises the long-running interplay between scientific research and the creative arts, from the illustrators and sculptors who help to describe and depict specimens, to contemporary artists who invite us to think about our environment and our impact on the natural world.

From epic celestial canvases to salt-and-silk textile works, the shortlist for the 2024 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize brings together a rich and diverse survey of works that map the intersection of nature, science, and art.

Winners will be announced on 11 April ahead of the public opening of a major exhibition showcasing all shortlisted finalists running until 10 June.

A $5,000 People’s Choice Prize sponsored by the K&S Langley Fund will also be awarded by public vote at the exhibition’s conclusion.

2024 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize

Art and science collide as artists investigate the natural world around them.

Click here to view the 2024 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize shortlist.

Image: Nelumbo nucifera: Lotus, Nick Mount, Open Prize finalist

Bioregional Rings (Central Coast)

WINNER - OPEN PRIZE 2022

These rings showcase materials foraged within one bioregion; a region described by natural features rather than human-made borders. In response to the insensitivity of globalised supply chains our work intends to draw sensitivity to the local richness of place.

By Kyoko Hashimoto and Guy Keulemans, South Australia.

Prize money donated by IAS Fine Art Logistics.


Fragile Forms

WINNER - EMERGING CATEGORY 2022

This work is a study of movement, time and aging. It pays homage to the human body as it changes with age, exploring fragility and the way the forces of time, memory and movement impact upon it.

By Deb McKay, South Australia.

Prize money donated by Hill Smith Art Advisory.

Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize exhibition is supported by: