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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.

Dr B Marika AO, 2020

Mihail Tsikas

Living Memory Finalist

Dr B Marika AO, 2020

Dr B Marika AO was an artist and printmaker from Arnhem Land, and a member of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people. In 2019, Dr Marika was chosen to be the Northern Territory's 2020 Senior Australian of the Year during a ceremony in Alice Springs, where I took her portrait. When I met Dr Marika, I saw the timeless look in her eyes. How do you capture time? While I was adjusting exposures, she tentatively put her hand to her hair to smooth it down. It was at that moment I took the photograph, and I felt I had captured timelessness and living memory.

The subject of this photograph has recently passed away. The Gallery respects Indigenous peoples and communities’ cultural protocols; as such the first name of the subject will not be used and the portrait will not be displayed online or in the Gallery while we consult with the family and community of the subject as to their wishes. We thank you for your understanding.

Courtesy of the artist

Living Memory
(More information, View all 79 photos)

Dining room
Stage dive
Isaiah Firebrace – reflect, reset, rejuvenate
Drew, Deception Bay, Queensland, 3 March 2020

Related information

Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley
Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley
Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley
Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley

Living Memory

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2021

Previous exhibition, 2021

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.
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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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