The best exhibitions to see in Sydney this month

Rain or shine, Sydney’s best art galleries and top museums contain treasure troves of inspiration just waiting to be discovered.

Australia's favourite annual art event is back, and the Art Gallery of NSW has unleashed a fresh suite of famous faces, diverse landscapes and eclectic sculptures with the return of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is also opening its exciting major winter show this month – Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible – the first comprehensive exhibition of the renound Welsh artist in Australia, inviting visitors to stroll through monumental light sculptures (from June 6).

Speaking of illuminations, we'd be remiss not to mention that Vivid Sydney is lighting up the city after dark, painting buildings with intricate projections. (You can suss out our team's favourite things to see at Vivid Sydney over here.)

We are also counting down the days until Chippendale's White Rabbit Gallery re-opens on June 18 with Tender Comrade, an epic new exhibition diving into the queer histories of ancient China.

Are you prepared to head outside of the city for an experience where art and nature come together? Down by the bend of the Shoalhaven River, Bundanon's intriguing new exhibition features talking mushrooms and dancing horses; and in the Southern Highlands, Ngununggula has just unveiled a gorgeous showcase of all-women painters.

Read on for more of the coolest exhibitions to have a gander at.