Skip to main content
Menu

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.

'How many days?' Dr Bronwyn Wells, 2021

Tamas Wells

Darling Portrait Prize 2022 Finalist

In July 2020, almost 3000 people in nine high-rise public housing towers in Melbourne were detained without warning in their homes after a coronavirus outbreak. While images of the lockdown were shown around the country, medical staff - including Dr Bronwyn Wells - treated many vulnerable and elderly residents, in often chaotic circumstances. Here she is depicted at the end of the day in the hallway of the public housing estate. I wanted this picture to capture the heart and commitment of her and other health workers in these extraordinary times.

Darling Portrait Prize 2022

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency