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.
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Dan Sultan (b. 1983), Arrernte/Gurindji singer/songwriter, grew up in Melbourne. Sultan's father is Irish and his mother, of the Arrernte/Gurindji people of the Northern Territory, is part of the Stolen Generations and a descendent of Vincent Lingiari, the Wave Hill stockman and land rights leader. Sultan wrote his first song at age ten and as a teenager played open mic nights in Melbourne pubs. At 22 he released his debut album, Homemade Biscuits (2006). Included on it was the single 'Your Love is Like a Song', which won him the Deadly Award for Single of the Year in 2007. Sultan's second album Get Out While You Can (2009) reached number one on the independent Australian charts and won him many awards including ARIAs for Best Male Artist and Best Blues and Roots Album. The album Blackbird (2014), recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, debuted at number four and won the ARIA for Best Rock Album. Sultan's subsequent releases include Killer (2017), Aviary Takes (2019) and Nali and Friends (2019), named Best Children's Album at the 2019 ARIAs.
This portrait was a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize in 2012. Martin Philbey said he wanted to show Sultan 'stripped back to the essence of his being, with no other distractions. Everything that makes him who he is, is on display'.
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2012 Finalist
Purchased with funds provided by Ruth and Peter McMullin 2013
© Martin Philbey
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Martin Philbey’s portrait of Dan Sultan.
Dr Christopher Chapman discusses the portrait of Australian composer Paul Grabowsky by photographer Martin Philbey.
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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