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.

The exhibition is a vibrant and dynamic exhibition by acclaimed contemporary artist Joan Ross. Transforming scenes from colonial artworks through a digital ‘cut and paste’ technique and her signature fluorescent yellow, Ross explores critical issues like climate change, greed and consumerism.

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.

Drop into the Gallery this Spring for free creative activities inspired by our vibrant exhibition Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.

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.

Join us in the Gallery for this free 30-minute tour of the collection, exploring portrait stories and the history of the building.

Welcome lovers of verse! Explore the intersection of literature and art as we delve into the words and works of renowned Australian poets and songwriters immortalised in the National Portrait Collection.

Draw while listening to live music by Tara Louise and Ben Lanyon as they perform a groovy mix of jazz, soul and pop music.

Join Australian National University researcher Harry Kilcullen as they explore groundbreakers of queer art and culture in the National Portrait Collection.

Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of double portraits. What will this unique form of portraiture reveal about the sitters and the artists?

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.

Join us for the opening of Carol Jerrems: Portraits to celebrate the work, life and legacy of one of Australia’s most influential photographers. See the exhibition for free, grab a drink and soak up the vibe of DJ Charlie Villas’ genre- and generation-bending beats.

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.

Join photo-historian Helen Ennis and Gallery educators as we launch our professional learning programs for 2025 with a free session that explores ways to engage students with photography.

Join photo-historian Helen Ennis and Gallery educators as we launch our professional learning programs for 2025 with a free online session that explores ways to engage students with photography.