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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.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Self portrait

1984-1985
Andrew Sibley

pencil on paper (sheet: 76.0 cm x 51.0 cm)

Andrew Sibley (1933–2015), painter and teacher, is known for his figurative paintings, landscapes and abstract works. He arrived in Australia from England in 1948 at fifteen, having studied at the Gravesend School of Art in Kent. Associated with artist Jon Molvig, he became a key member of the Brisbane School and held his first exhibition in 1960. In 1961, he exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. The following year his work was included in an exhibition at the Tate Gallery and he won the Transfield Art Prize, then Australia's richest art award. In the 1960s and 1970s his work was included in exhibitions in Japan, USA, Paris and Germany. Sibley moved to Melbourne in 1966 and was a lecturer in Fine Arts at RMIT until 1990, when he became Head of Painting at Monash University. Throughout his career he exhibited regularly and is represented in most major Australian galleries. His portraits of Molvig, Mirka Mora and Alan McCulloch were finalists in the Archibald Prize, and he was a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with his works of his wife Irene Sibley and Rodney Hall. Drawing was an essential part of Sibley's practice, and the National Portrait Gallery has eighteen of the artist's portraits in pencil and ink.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2010
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Andrew Sibley/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Andrew Sibley (age 51 in 1984)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Andrew Sibley (16 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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