2026 Stimulus Exhibition -  Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s: Spiders of Paradise

Entrants were invited to respond to this visually striking exhibition, where Cardoso blends art, science and nature through large-scale photography and immersive video to reveal the extraordinary colour, beauty and courtship rituals of Australia’s tiny Maratus spiders. 

Students were inspired by Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s: Spiders of Paradise, on display at Canberra Museum and Gallery (29 May-23 August). Creative prompts to explore may include: 

Seen and Unseen

Photograph something small, overlooked, or easily missed. Use scale, focus and/or composition to reveal unexpected complexity in the everyday.

Designed by Nature

Photograph patterns in nature or the built environment—colour, repetition, texture or symmetry—that reveal a sense of design, intention, or natural order.

Colour as Communication

Use bold or subtle colour to suggest mood, attraction, warning, identity, or expression—just as colour is used in the natural world.