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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.

Tom at the drain, 2020

Julian Kingma

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2021 Highly Commended

Isolation sent children into new territory: what to do with themselves; how to negotiate their four walls, sometimes battling anxiety; how to find playfulness; and resisting constant screen time. Tom needs to be on the move, to create worlds within worlds. He was diagnosed with ADHD, so lockdown was particularly challenging – being told to stay home and stay indoors was excruciating for him. Yet I found optimism within him when making this portrait. While the world retreated, Tom was reminding me happiness always exists within the simplest things.

Courtesy of the artist
© Julian Kingma

Other NPPP photos from Julian Kingma

Lola - Last Summer Days, 2021 Julian Kingma
2023 Finalist
Willem, 2018 by Julian Kingma
2019 Finalist
Steven Heathcote
2007 Finalist
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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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