WOW winners revealed – Destination Wellington
New Zealand designers had a standout showing at the 2026 World of WearableArt (WOW) awards, taking home 15 of the 25 prizes and the competition’s top two honours.
New Zealand artist and 10-time WOW finalist Kayla Christensen won the 2026 Supreme WOW award for Sacred Nightfall, an intricately hand-painted and stitched tapestry which summons an ethereal night goddess from the deep native forests of Aotearoa.
WOW Head of Competition Sarah Nathan says judges described Sacred Nightfall as mesmerising and multilayered, rich with kaitiakitanga and wairua. “Sacred Nightfall asks us to listen to what remains in the darkness and protect what still lives. The extinct whēkau and ruru hinapō are painted back into existence, restoring their memory and honouring the fragile natural world that still surrounds us,” she says.
Kiwi husband-and-wife team Erna and Karl Van Der Wat received the Runner-Up Award for Armour of Pain, inspired by Erna’s journey with chronic pain, and its transformation from tormentor to mentor – which judges described as a “fearless portrayal of pain and power”.
This year’s winners were selected from 108 finalist entries created by 134 designers from 18 countries; with a prize pool of over $200,000.
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Hero image: Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat, New Zealand.
