© National Portrait Gallery 2025
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Living Memory Finalist
Covid made us look to our backyards for culture, but still, nobody noticed shearers. They're part of a niche subculture specific to the country, so you don't 'see it' unless you're 'in it'. They're the iconic 'working-class heroes' that mullet-wearing city dwellers aspire to be. They're so fashion-forward, they never stopped wearing mullets; had stick 'n poke tatts before hipsters did; and live the bohemian lifestyle Byron Bay-ites want. Shearers haven't stopped during Covid, so on top of being aesthetically perfect, they also continue to support the nation. Consider this photo a form of cultural exchange from country to city.
Courtesy of the artist
© The artist
An interview with Leith Alexander, Finalist in the Living Memory National Photographic Portrait Prize.
The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.
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