SJM acquires Archibald People’s Choice painting

The portrait of ECAJ co-CEO Alex Ryvchin by Michael Zavros, which won a record People’s Choice vote, will find a permanent home at the Sydney Jewish Museum.

The Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) has acquired Michael Zavros’ Archibald Prize-winning portrait of Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Alex Ryvchin, just weeks after the painting won the 2026 ANZ People’s Choice award with the highest number of votes in the competition’s history.

The large-scale hyperrealist oil on canvas, titled ‘Alex with his tefillin in the sea’, depicts Ryvchin standing in the ocean wrapped in tefillin. The acquisition was made possible through a major gift to the museum.

SJM board president Greg Shand said the acquisition carried particular cultural significance.

“At a time of heightened concern about antisemitism in Australia, the public response to this portrait carries particular significance,” Shand said. “Its selection as the People’s Choice award winner demonstrates the enduring capacity of art to build understanding between people.”

Shand said the work invited Australians to engage with the lived experience of Jewish Australians, and described the public vote as “an uplifting reflection of the empathy that exists within the broad Australian public for the values of inclusion, respect and mutual understanding”.

The portrait has had a remarkable journey since it was unveiled as one of 59 finalists in the 2026 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in May.

As Zavros told The AJN when the painting was first shown, the project began when his mother and friends told the Brisbane-based artist they had seen him on television. The face they were seeing was Ryvchin’s, whose regular media appearances after October 7 had brought him to national attention.

Intrigued by the resemblance, Zavros began following Ryvchin’s advocacy more closely. A DNA test taken in early 2024 added a personal dimension when Zavros discovered he was eight per cent Ashkenazi Jewish.

The sitting took place at a secluded Sydney bay in late January, weeks after the December 2025 Bondi attack on Chanukah by the Sea.

For Ryvchin, the theme of tefillin held deep personal meaning. “For me, tefillin means Eli Schlanger,” he told The AJN in May. “He’s the guy I always did it with.”

A record 45,769 visitors to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition voted in this year’s People’s Choice competition, the highest number in the award’s 38-year history.

Zavros said he was honoured the painting would now become part of a public collection.

“This portrait began with an unexpected connection and grew into a conversation about the things that unite us,” Zavros said. “Alex and I discovered common ground through our shared experiences as Australians, fathers and sons of migrant families. I am deeply honoured that the work has resonated with so many people and grateful that it will now have a permanent home where its story can continue to be shared.”

Ryvchin said the acquisition ensured the portrait’s themes would remain accessible to future audiences.

“This work captures a moment that is deeply personal, but it also speaks to broader ideas about memory, resilience and social cohesion,” Ryvchin said. “I am honoured to have sat for Michael and delighted that the portrait will enter a public collection, where it can encourage reflection, understanding and dialogue among visitors from all backgrounds.”

Zavros has been a finalist in all seven of his Archibald entries. His work is held in major public collections including the Art Gallery of NSW, and he is a past winner of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition continues at the Art Gallery of NSW.