© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Ryan Presley: Paradise won
On view until May 2025
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.
Joan Ross
Those trees came back to me in my dreams
Exhibition closes 2 February
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.
Some Lads
In Gallery Four
Open every day
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.
Art Cart
Bright brooches: banksias and butterflies
10:00am, Sun 22 Sep until Sun 15 Dec
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.
Gallery One
Open every day
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.
Collection Highlights Tour
11:00am, 2:00pm, Daily
until Sun 15 Dec
Join us in the Gallery for this free 30-minute tour of the collection, exploring portrait stories and the history of the building.
Bookings optional
Gallery Two
Open every day
Carol Jerrems: Portraits
Exhibition closes 2 March
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.
Bookings available
if only we could take the time: contemporary Australian photography
Exhibition closes 1 June
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.
Exhibition Tour
Carol Jerrems: Portraits
1:00pm, Fri 6 Dec until Sun 2 Mar
Join us in the Gallery as we explore our latest exhibition Carol Jerrems: Portraits and its key themes. Discover how Jerrems’ work defined a decade and continues to shape how we think about photography today.
Bookings available
Drawn in
Coolibah Coolective
1:00pm, Sun 15 Dec
Draw while listening to live music by four-piece band Coolibah Coolective as they perform acoustic songs that tell stories about the people and places that make us who we are.
Summer Family Space
10:00am, Wed 18 Dec until Sun 2 Feb
Drop in to the family space these school holidays for free creative activities to enjoy together. All activities are inspired by the vibrant and dynamic exhibition, Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.