© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Darling Portrait Prize 2020 Finalist
This is a portrait of Alan Kelly, one of the original Canberrans. Born in 1932, Kel grew up in The Causeway at the Kingston foreshore, in Canberra’s inner south. I got to know him through my work at a picture framing store in the city. He was a permanent fixture and a genuine jack-of-all-trades. 'Always a way in the bush', he would assure us. Though I have only known him through his ‘September years’, Kel would often talk about his removalist company 'Kel’s Kareful Karriers' and the time a group of kids approached him and his truck with a peculiar interest: 'Mister, you can't spell'.
The Darling Prize is a new biennial prize for Australian portrait painters, painting Australian sitters. The winner receives a cash prize of $75,000.
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!
