Scott Duncan wins the Northern Beaches Environmental & Design Prize

Scott Duncan won the Northern Beaches Environmental & Design Prize at Manly Art Gallery & Museum for his brilliant work Choice Quality. A huge achievement, the prize was judged by acclaimed artist Laura Jones and designer Nila Rezaei.

“Scott Duncan’s unique visual language and experimental approach is, at first glance, playful. But beneath its humour lies a deeply considered reflection on the state of the environment today. By transforming and elevating everyday forms, the artist explores the interconnections of agriculture, memory and material culture. Choice Quality looks us straight in the eye, meeting us with familiarity and great warmth while also confronting us with deep questions.” – Laura Jones, 2026 Environmental Art & Design Prize Judge

"My practice embraces an experimental approach to ceramics, combining salvaged moulds, upcycled and handmade tools. Referencing everyday packaging materials such as fruit box cardboard, this work reflects on cycles of consumption, waste and renewal. Handmade beads from waste clay and custom surface treatments to create a collage-like visual language. Textural contrasts shift between rough industrial surfaces and lustrous finishes reminiscent of Italian Bitossi and Bendigo Pottery, highlighting tensions between mass production and handmade permanence. Through retro forms and figurative sculptures inspired by antique paper dolls, I explore memory, materiality and sustainability, inviting reflection on environmental responsibility and our relationship with the natural world.” — Scott Duncan, Artist Statement 2026

8 August 2026