Archie Moore is a celebrated Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist whose practice is embedded in the politics of identity, racism and language systems. Mīal is a conceptual self portrait that counters expectations of what a self portrait should be.

The exhibition will feature some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date, from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent.

Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley's site-specific commission Paradise won is prominently positioned at the Gallery’s entrance. This ambitious new work invites conversations about the ongoing legacies of colonisation and celebrates First Nations survival and autonomy.

Launched at the National Portrait Gallery in 2022, the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize is a competition for primary and secondary students, with four separate age categories across Kindergarten to Year 12.

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 celebrates established and emerging artistic talent from across the country.

Discover 50 colonial-era collection works alongside 50 works by contemporary artist Joan Ross. With wit and wry critique, Ross will make you consider the artist’s role in determining which stories are told, about who and why.

The Some Lads series powerfully and playfully depicts Russell Page, Larrakia man Gary Lang, Muruwari man Matthew Doyle, and Graham Blanco, a descendant of the Mer (Murray Island) people.

Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this salon-style hang references the lavish 18th- and 19th-century European salons where paintings were hung floor-to-ceiling.

Experience the vibrant flowers and foliage in our Western Courtyard through drawing and observation.

Carol Jerrems: Portraits is a major exhibition of one of Australia’s most influential photographers. Jerrems’ intimate portraits of friends, lovers and artistic peers transcend the purely personal and have come to shape Australian visual culture.

This show, staged alongside the major exhibition Carol Jerrems: Portraits, spotlights the work of three contemporary Australian artists whose work sits in dialogue with Jerrems’ legacy.

Learn about the architecture of the building before journeying through the Gallery to hear about the lives and legacies of the portrait subjects and the artistic techniques used to tell their stories.

Join a short introductory tour of the National Portrait Gallery and discover a few key portraits.

Drop into the Gallery for free creative activities inspired by the flora and fauna featured in the vibrant exhibition, Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.

Gallery Three features major new acquisitions, collection highlights and favourites.

Join us for a new iteration of Drawn in this autumn. The Composer’s Canvas is a series of drawing sessions once a month at the Gallery.

We offer a free, tailor-made program for small groups of people living with dementia and their friends, families or carers.

This April Fool’s Day, join Nic Schmidt, Visitor Experience Assistant, for a tour of portraits with a visual element to tickle your funny bone.

Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: to help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at art and its transformative power.

Join Learning Facilitator Nicole Richardson as she delves into the stories behind three portraits chosen for her by three members of the Gallery’s digital team.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

The Immersive World of Thom Roberts is the first solo exhibition for multidisciplinary contemporary Australian artist Thom Roberts. Roberts’ bold portraits morph people with trains and buildings, inviting audiences to see the world through his eyes.

Drop into the Gallery any time for free creative activities inspired by artist Thom Roberts and his exhibition, The Immersive World of Thom Roberts.

Join us for an artist talk by Thom Roberts to celebrate the opening of his first solo exhibition, The Immersive World of Thom Roberts at the National Portrait Gallery.

Join us for Portrait Play these school holidays as we explore portraits and music. Come and meet the people that live on our walls, discover musical instruments hidden in the portraits and get creative on your journey through the galleries.

This Story Time we’re exploring the magic of a childhood spent in the Australian bush with the book Secrets of the Seasons, written by Heidi Cooper Smith.

Krysia Kitch, Manager of Learning Programs, takes us on a personal trip across time and medium through portraits that resonate strongly with her.

This Story Time we’re exploring the magic of a childhood spent in the Australian bush with the book Secrets of the Seasons, written by Heidi Cooper Smith.

Listen to the soulful vocals of Ava Martina blended with electric guitar while drawing. Ava will perform a mix of originals and covers spanning generations of artists.

Join us for Portrait Play these school holidays as we explore portraits and music. Come and meet the people that live on our walls, discover musical instruments hidden in the portraits and get creative on your journey through the galleries.

Explore the Gallery at a quiet time of day. We welcome anyone of any age who would benefit from a more relaxed gallery experience.

Join us on International Dance Day for a Virtual Highlights Tour to celebrate the joy and creativity that dance brings to our lives.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Draw while listening to the music of composer and musician, Ethan McAlister, including a special rendition of an original song ‘The Shoreline’. As part of his performance, McAlister will expand on the song through improvisation, experimentation and looped sections to explore the nuances of a single song.

The NPPP is an annual prize for Australian photographers. The year’s most outstanding photographic portrait is awarded a $30,000 cash prize and photographic equipment valued at $20,000 courtesy of our Imaging Partner, Canon Australia.