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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.

In reverence of comedic wisdom – Gerard Lee, 2023

Surya Bajracharya

Darling Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist

dry-brushed charcoal (support: 80.0cm x 61.0cm. frame: 104.4cm x 84.5cm depth 5.0cm)
In reverence of comedic wisdom – Gerard Lee, 2023

Surya Bajracharya
born Nepal 1979, Australia from 1984

In reverence of comedic wisdom – Gerard Lee 2023
dry brushed charcoal on paper

‘In reverence of comedic wisdom is a portrait of Gerard Lee, cherished family friend, mentor and writer. In recent years, Gerard and I have come back into closer contact, and he has offered me counsel and hope for a way forward. This is how I see him in my portrait, determined, thoughtful, optimistic, with a droll comment waiting in the wind. A reply from Gerard during the portrait-making process: “Look, I built the face, from pain and agony and the ability to look beyond all that into the wide blue yonder … What’s it worth to you? What’s the prize money? What’s my cut?”’

Kamberri/Canberra-based artist Surya Bajracharya’s practice encompasses printmaking, painting and sculpture and oscillates between place, politics and personal experience.


© The artist

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Darling Portrait Prize 2024

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Darling Portrait Prize 2024
(More information, View all 24 paintings)

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Darling Portrait Prize 2024

Current exhibition

from Saturday 22 June

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG.
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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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