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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Darling Portrait Prize 2024

Previous exhibition
from Saturday 22 June until Sunday 13 October 2024

On show alongside the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024

William Nuttall with horses in field, 2023 Noel McKenna. © The artist

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG. It offers a platform for artists to explore the evolving notion of Australian identity while celebrating emerging and established portrait painters. The winner for 2024 is

William Nuttal with horses in the field, 2023 by Noel McKenna

Judges Bree Pickering (Director of the National Portrait Gallery), art critic and historian Tara Heffernan, and Erin Vink (Curator, First Nations art (local and global) at the Art Gallery of New South Wales) said McKenna’s painting is an assured, well-executed work.

“This is an energetic and unexpected portrait. The subject shares the work with animals and the landscape. It is joyous in its execution and demonstrates the skill of an established Australian artist whose practice is assured in every way.”

In 2024, 24 finalists were selected for the prize with the winner receiving a cash prize of $75,000. Kat Weir's Mel, 2024 received the most votes in the People’s Choice Award and was awarded $10,000 courtesy of the Liangis Family Foundation. Nena Salobir’s Self portrait on washcloth 2024 was selected for the Art Handlers’ award, receiving $2,000 cash from exhibition partner IAS Fine Art Logistics.

24 DPP Finalists

1 Mel, 2024 Kat Weir. © The artist. 2 Self portrait on washcloth, 2024 Nena Salobir. © The artist. 3 Habitat of monstera II (Self-portrait with yellow paisley jacket), 2023 Bahman Kermany. © The artist. 4 Nyadol Nyuon OAM, 2023 Richard Butler Bowdon. © The artist.
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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