Amidst the exclusionary national art scene, the Incognito Art Show stands as a vibrant haven for artists and collectors. With good reason, the show coins itself Australia’s most inclusive art show. Any artist can register to receive an ‘artist pack’ of three A5 cards on which to create their original artwork. These are then sold at an annual art fair — both online and in-person at a pop-up gallery in Paddington — on a first-come-first-served basis for the flat rate of $100. The catch: artists remain ‘incognito’. Collectors don’t know whose artwork they chose until after they buy it, removing the purchasing allure of status. For all aspiring artists, lovers of art, or simply curious cats, the art show is the perfect place to quench your thirst for creativity.
It’s hard to ignore the creative buzz around the Art Show. The show has grabbed headlines in SBS World News, The Sydney Morning Herald and ABC News, being widely praised for its innovative and inclusive approach to art sales. In an SBS feature, co-founder Dave Liston shared its explosive growth—from 1,800 artwork submissions in 2021 to nearly 18,000 in 2024.
The Incognito Art Show is a registered non-for-profit organisation committed to making art accessible to all. In 2024, the profits are being donated to organisations providing professional support to artists living with disability: We Are Studios, the first disability-led artist-run initiative for Western Sydney artists with disabilities, and Studio A, an Sydney-based organisation that facilitates the career development of artists with an intellectual disability.
Beyond their philanthropic purpose, the initiative dissolves barriers for emerging artists by providing professional pathways. Although open to international artists, the show receives 95% of submissions from Australian artists and should be credited with revitalising Sydney’s art scene.
The show attracts many young artists, offering a crucial platform to sell and showcase quality art that would otherwise likely remain unseen, or struggle to attract the same scale of audience. Once purchased, the show promotes the artists, tagging them on Instagram to help build their following and giving aspiring talents a chance to be discovered. Recognising the challenges of juggling life as both a struggling artist and student, the show has its sights set on young people. Co-founder David Liston shares that in 2021, the show’s debut year, they delivered artist packs to students at the National Art School. Since then, they have reached out to art school staff across the board, urging more students to get involved.
This year’s submissions include 23 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize finalists, including the 2024 Archibald prize winner, Laura Jones. While the presence of renowned artists is undeniably magnetic, the true focus remains on the art itself. The Incognito Art Show encourages the ultimate democratisation of art; all works are regarded as equal, so buyers are encouraged to choose what they love rather than a name they want.
Engaging in visual art, whether that be creating, viewing, or owning, is a human necessity. The 2022 National Arts Participation Survey reveals that nearly all Australians, 97%, engage in the arts in some way. However, participation in visual arts is often limited to profit-driven institutions. For the vast majority of us, art galleries are sites for spectating and admiring art which, although meaningful, are framed by elitism and the inevitable and disproportionate exclusion of voices. And — needless to say — collecting is available to those of a certain age and class. It is largely limited by tight wallets and inconceivable prices, and is something we can aspire to only once disposable income is sufficient to spare. Even once collecting is within reach, it is all-too-often filtered through the lens of financial investment and aspirations for inflated resale value, or as a status symbol, rather than for a personal aesthetic appreciation.
The Incognito Art Show provides a solution to these accessibility issues. Anyone who steps through the doors or visits the online sale can become a collector, experiencing art for its personal value and engaging in an aesthetic—rather than fiscal—experience. The show breaks through the elitism of the art scene by eliminating the need for gallery curators and corporate interests, freeing art from institutional constraints.
Does knowing whether an artwork was made by a child or a prize-winning artist change your perspective? The art show makes no such distinction, hanging each piece side by side without obvious curation, inviting viewers to explore freely. Registration is open to all — amateur, lapsed, emerging, or seasoned professionals. In this community, free from formal art criticism, creativity flourishes, evoking the childhood joy of creating fridge-worthy art.
The Incognito Art Show reminds us to be creative, because art matters.
An estimated 6,000 artworks were sold over the sale weekend on July 13 and 14. Although this date has passed, there are still 11,000 artworks available to be purchased online. Click here to view and purchase an Incognito Art piece, and here to be notified when registrations open for artists in 2025.
