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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.

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Marion Borgelt

2001
Cherry Hood

watercolour on paper (frame: 181.5 cm x 127.0 cm, sight: 150.5 cm x 101.5 cm)

Cherry Hood is known for her haunting, large-scale images of faces, often executed in watercolour which she allows to bleed and drip. She specialises in intense depictions of anonymous subjects, but occasionally she makes portraits – often of fellow artists. Her paintings of Ben Quilty and Michael Zavros were Archibald Prize finalists in 2007 and 2010 respectively, and this watercolour of artist Marion Borgelt (b. 1954) was shortlisted for the Portia Geach Memorial Award in 2001. Borgelt, who held her first solo exhibitions in Adelaide in the 1970s, was trained as a painter, but her practice encompasses sculpture, installation and temporal works, and incorporates a variety of materials and processes including wood, bronze, wax, stone and glass. 'The eyes are always the focus of my paintings,' Hood has said, and this work demonstrates her skill at combining finely-painted elements – especially the eyes – with the fluidity and unpredictability of watercolour, incorporating expanses of wash and subtle gradations of tone and shadow.

Gift of Marion Borgelt 2022. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Cherry Hood/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

Cherry Hood (age 51 in 2001)

Marion Borgelt (age 47 in 2001)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Marion Borgelt (1 portrait)

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© 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.

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