Cynthia Breusch and Christopher McVinish Announced for Salon des Refusés
Gallery One is pleased to share today’s announcement that artists Christopher McVinish and Cynthia Breusch have been selected for the 2026 Salon des Refusés. This is an exhibition that continues to hold a distinctive and respected place within Australia’s art prize landscape. Their inclusion marks a significant achievement, where both artworks will be celebrated for their exceptional quality, originality, and ambition.
Cynthia Breusch Artist Statement: Salon des Refusés (Archibald)
Man with a woollen scarf - Artist Christopher McVinish, acrylic on board, 150cm x 74.5cm, 2026
An existential moment: artist takes a break from studio, waits for kettle to boil while listening again to dire world news, the accompanying frenzy of analysis and rabid speculation, and contemplates What does it all mean? Christopher McVinish is an urban landscape painter, a Wynne and Archibald finalist. An observer of overlooked aspects of everyday environments his work suggests a vague mood of disquiet alongside the poetry to be found in the passing of time.
Christopher McVinish Artist Statement: Salon des Refusés (Wynne)
Sugar Mill, oil on canvas, 152 x 122cm, 2026
In my art practice I’m interested in in our architectural past: I like abandoned buildings, houses that indicate the quiet and disquiet of suburban lives, and imposing architectural structures that captivate me in some way. ‘Sugar Mill’ is a foray into industrial landscape. This building with its structure of competing shapes, textures and form describes human intrusion into the Australian landscape, brutal yet intriguingly beautiful in its abstract expression of structural complexity.
The selection of Christopher McVinish and Cynthia Breusch in this years Salon des Refusés (Wynne and Archibald) highlights the breadth of contemporary portraiture practice in Australia today. McVinish’s work is recognised for its considered approach and technical command, often engaging deeply with subject and form. Breusch, meanwhile, brings a distinctive sensibility that balances conceptual clarity with expressive execution. While their practices differ, both artists demonstrate the kind of individual vision and confidence that the Salon des Refusés seeks to champion.
View available works from both artists at Gallery One online now: Christopher McVinish and Cynthia Breusch