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Byron Shire
September 15, 2026

Byron artist wins Border Art Prize

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photoByron Bay artist John Cottrell has won this year’s Border Art Prize with his painting ‘Maelstrom Mandala’ (pictured).

It’s the second art prize John has won in a month, having won the Peter Carroll encouragement award at the Wilson Visual Arts Award in August.

In June he was also selected as a finalist in the Northern Rivers Portrait Prize with his painting of his friend and local gardener Henry Addison and his dog Monkey.

The Border Art Prize opened on Saturday night at the Gold Coast City Gallery and was judged by Joe Furlonger.

A packed gallery included a diversse range of artists from northern NSW and southeast Queensland to see all 300 entries exhibited.

The Border Art Prize attracts entries from both well-known and emerging artists and it is open to all media types and subject matters.

John said his winning work is a contemporary mandala with a mixture of beauty and chaos and was painted in a dynamic triangulated style.

Mandalas are a universal symbol and have always been represented in John’s work.

The exhibition at the Gold Coast City Gallery continues until 27 October.

On Saturday, 5 October, John is opening his studio to the public from 11am to 7pm and hosting a Belongil Art Studios Open Day with fellow Belongil artists Jan Rae and Liz Barker.

 



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