© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 Finalist
‘This photograph was taken during the making of a video work. Puppeteer Nguyen Công Chính performs with Chú Tễu, a character in the world of water puppetry who guides the audience through the narrative and plot points of a water play. In the video, Chú Tễu goes for a swim and performs an unspoken soliloquy to a landscape that he has developed a deep longing for, but can never belong to. The water here is something he recognises, yet it tastes different. His customary practices become unfamiliar here. The water feels and sounds like a different place. Chú Tễu is no longer a guide. He is a temporary visitor, an uninvited guest.’
Vietnam-born James Nguyen lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne. His interdisciplinary practice traverses cinematography, photography, text and performance, and engages with decolonial thinking and the expression of what he has termed the ‘diasporic absurd’.
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 Wednesday 30 September 2026.
from Saturday 22 August
The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 marks the end of one of the Gallery’s longest-running exhibitions.
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!
