An annual showcase of exemplary artworks from the previous year’s Higher School Certificate, ARTEXPRESS has come to be a staple of the New South Wales exhibition calendar, with 10 uniquely curated exhibitions presented across the state in 2026. This year, ARTEXPRESS returns to Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery for a second time. 

Showcasing the outstanding artistry, conceptual depth, and technical skill of the emerging artists of tomorrow, this exhibition offers a platform for students at a pivotal stage in their creative practice. For the artists, inclusion is a significant achievement and source of pride; for audiences, the exhibition demonstrates a fresh perspective, and communicates the vibrant and imaginative ways in which these young artists see and navigate their worlds.

Guided by the Visual Arts Stage 6 Syllabus to hone their practice over a full year through the creation of a finalised body of work, the artworks presented in this exhibition ponder and challenge the bold ideas and issues important to young people today through an exciting diversity of artistic styles and forms that reflect emerging contemporary art practice.

The works presented in ARTEXPRESS reflect the breadth of this practice, encompassing expressive forms including drawing, graphic design, painting, printmaking, photomedia, ceramics, sculpture, textiles and fibre, time-based forms, and collections of works. 

This exhibition features exemplary works by 29 students selected from 498 nominated works produced by the 2025 Higher School Certificate cohort, which comprised 9,074 Visual Arts submissions. The Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery presentation showcases a selection of works from schools spanning across Sydney and wider New South Wales, from the north to the south border, Central Coast, Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, the Northern Tablelands, the Southern Highlands and the Mid North Coast.

 

Events:

ARTEXPRESS Afterhours Teachers Event
Teachers will be able to engage in conversations about the body of work during a guided tour of ARTEXPRESS with a curatorial perspective. Join representatives from the ARTEXPRESS program for an evening of discussion, networking and inspiration.

Thursday, 10 September | 5:30pm | Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery

RSVP here 

Secondary School Tours
Tours of the ARTEXPRESS exhibition are available for Year 10 and 11 students any Monday, Tuesday or Thursday morning during the exhibition period (29 August – 25 October) for a maximum of 30 students per tour group.

Please contact VisualArts@waverley.nsw.gov.au for more information and to book.

Image: Silversalt Photography