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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.

Writing on the Wall, 2019 Dr Christian Thompson AO

To arrive at hope

NPPP 2020 exhibition essay
General content

Penelope Grist, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2020 Prize.

Nan and Brian in bed, New York City 1983 by Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin

Tough & Tender
General content

The photographs by Nan Goldin in Tough and tender are warm images of heartache and hope.

Bern Emmerichs video: 4 minutes

Bern Emmerichs

Contributing artists

Born: 1961, Melbourne
Works: Melbourne

Mämburrkmamburrk, the grouping of the clouds, 2017 by Mundatjŋu Munuŋgurr, video: 3 minutes

Mämburrkmamburrk, the grouping of the clouds, 2017

by Mundatjŋu Munuŋgurr
General content

Finalist, DPA 2017
Single channel HD digital video

To Look Away – Tilda, 2015 by Sophie Hyde, video: 18 minutes

To Look Away – Tilda, 2015

by Sophie Hyde
General content

Finalist, DPA 2016

Joey Chan

Joey Chan

Vox pops

Feeling a bit emotional. Took this portrait and it was the last photo I took of her.

Studio self-portrait, 2018 Vincent Namatjira OAM

Never let you go

Nearest & Dearest

Country, culture, connection

Michael Simms

Michael Simms

Vox pops

I first saw Zaachariaha Fielding perform with electric fields at Fair Day for Mardi Gras back in 2019 and they just blew me away.

Match man, Salisbury by John Dempsey

Very small business

General content

Under the ‘Old Poor Law’, people begging on the streets could be arrested, so to avoid punishment, they often pretended to commerce, offering the most marginal of goods and services.

Tom Goldner

Tom Goldner

Vox pops

The portrait's of my mother, Catherine, and the photograph was taken in a family home that we had and my mother was relocating to Tasmania.

Mrs Woods and ‘Ere

Person and Place

General content

The connection between land and identity holds great significance in Australia. While for First Nations people, person and place are intertwined both culturally and spiritually, forming an intrinsic union between Country and self, stories of colonisation and migration are also deeply bound to this nation.

Fiona McMonagle video: 5 minutes

Fiona McMonagle

Contributing artists

Born: 1977, Letterkenny, Ireland
Works: Melbourne

Geo Face Distributor

The ICONS Syndicate

Support your Portrait Gallery

Annual membership of the ICONS Syndicate is $5,000 and you are invited to join by making a tax-deductible donation to the National Portrait Gallery.

New partnership with Stripy Sock

5 July 2016
Archived media releases 2016

We have a new partnership with Canberra-based leading mobile application development consultancy, Stripy Sock.

Billie, 2016 by Graeme Drendel

Pets of all types take over the National Portrait Gallery

3 November 2016
Archived media releases 2016

It is not every day that a national gallery turns its walls over to the animal companions that bring unconditional love and joy to their owners but this summer we have opened the doors to 15 contemporary artists with very different ways of depicting our furry, feathered and scaled pets.

Artist in residence creates portraits using brainwave zctivity

29 June 2016
Archived media releases 2016

Digital media artist, George Khut, is creating a spectacular form of digital portraiture involving public participants.

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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

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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