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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.

Bather, 2024

Gerwyn Davies

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 Finalist

pigment photographic print on paper (image: 117.8cm x 98.5cm. sheet: 125.0cm x 105.0cm. frame: 123.8cm x 104.2cm depth 4.7cm)
Bather, 2024

‘I am drawn in by the powers and potentials for in/visibility in portraiture, for playful evasion, for the performance of dis/appearing acts in which I pass before the camera un/seen. My interest in portraiture lies in the way artists – and I think queer artists in particular are quite attuned to this – can pervert the conditions of the portrait by toying with or complicating their own visibility. I am drawn toward portraiture that redistributes power toward the subject in interesting ways, allowing the subject to be the one who determines the ways, as well as the extent to which, they are seen by both camera and viewer.’

Gerwyn Davies is a queer artist based on Gadigal land/Sydney who works across photography, textile and costume. Davies takes a performative approach to photographic portraiture, exploring self-representation, camp aesthetics and kitsch Australiana.

People's Choice Award

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

The People’s Choice Award is generously supported by the Calvert-Jones Foundation, with the artist who wins the most votes receiving $10,000.

Voting closes Sunday 28 September 2025.

Submit vote

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025
(More information, View all 48 photos)

Zev and Nick
FAGGOT MAGIC BONFIRE
Lola in utero
Stan

Other NPPP photos from Gerwyn Davies
(More information)

Mirror II, 2022 Gerwyn Davies
2023 Finalist

Related information

Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

Current exhibition

from Saturday 16 August

The NPPP is an annual prize for Australian photographers. The year’s most outstanding photographic portrait is awarded a $30,000 cash prize and photographic equipment valued at $20,000 courtesy of our Imaging Partner, Canon Australia.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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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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