Michael Zavros wins the 2026 Archibald Prize People’s Choice Award for a hyper-realist portrait of Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin, titled Alex with his tefillin in the sea.

The award drew a record 45,769 audience votes, with Zavros receiving the most votes among 2,524 entries across the Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman prizes.

The portrait is described as emotionally resonant, linking viewers through its portrayal of strength and sorrow during a time of national tragedy.

Zavros explains the sea setting and tefillin symbolize identity, faith, history, and belonging, while challenging symbols used to divide.

Ryvchin is co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, a detail Zavros highlights as representing leadership sought after in the country.

Zavros notes a long-standing, serendipitous connection to Ryvchin and says Bondi influenced his decision to honor Ryvchin’s strength, dignity, and resilience.

The two men met earlier in Sydney, with Ryvchin describing the portrait as capturing leadership and conviction during grieving times.

The artwork emphasizes shared migrant backgrounds, including Ryvchin’s Ukrainian heritage and Zavros’s own Jewish roots, underscoring unity over division.

The page highlights the record-breaking voting and places the win in the broader context of the Archibald exhibition and its finalists.

In Zavros’s artist statement, Ryvchin’s media prominence after the Hamas attacks and the Bondi terror attacks is noted as underscoring his leadership.

The artwork features Ryvchin walking barefoot in shallow harbor water with tefillin, a visual reference to faith, memory, and belonging amid communal grief.

The Archibald exhibition runs at the Art Gallery of New South Wales through mid-August, with 59 finalists and related prize history noted.