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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.

Search / leigh bowery

Leigh Bowery

Biography

Leigh Bowery (1961-1994), London-based designer and nightclub performer, was born in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, and attended school in Melbourne before briefly studying fashion design at RMIT.

2 portraits in the collection

Leigh Bowery, 1984

Robyn Beeche

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of Claudia Hyles, Dr Christiane Lawin-Bruessel, Gwenda Matthews, Gael Newton, Anne O'Hehir, Susan Smith and Dominic Thomas in memory of our friend, Robyn Beeche 2016

Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat, c. 1983 (printed 2005)

David Gwinnutt

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2005

Hyperversity

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

Dr Sarah Engledow writes about the larger-than-life Australian performance artist, Leigh Bowery.

De Gruchy & Leigh

Biography

De Gruchy & Leigh was a publishing and printing firm operating in Melbourne and regional Victoria from the late 1850s until the mid 1860s.

2 portraits in the collection

Cousins, 2013

by Leigh Harris

Image

Leigh Hobbs, 1993

Francis Reiss

Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

R O'Hara Burke, c. 1861

De Gruchy & Leigh

Portrait, lithograph on paper

Purchased 2009

William John Wills, c. 1861

De Gruchy & Leigh

Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Portrait 20

June - August 2006

Magazine

This issue of Portrait Magazine features Dame Nellie Melba and Frances Alda, Leigh Bowery, Karin Catt, Sidney Nolan and more.

Smalltown Boy (Perth), 2018

The Huxleys

Portrait, gilcée print on paper

Purchased 2021

Smalltown Boy (Surfers Paradise), 2018

The Huxleys

Portrait, gilcée print on paper

Purchased 2021

Every flap, fold and bulge

Magazine article by Starr Figura, 2008

Lucian Freud's unflinching realism is on display in the first solo exhibition of his paintings and etchings at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

The Dipper

Moustaches

One of the versions of thick, macho moustache strongly associated in the Australian visual lexicon with sportsmen of the 1970s and 80s.

Athol Shmith, 1985

Michel Lawrence

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

John Longstaff

Biography

Sir John Longstaff, born in Clunes, Victoria, studied at the NGV school from 1883 to 1887 and thenceforth at Corman's in Paris.

1 portrait in the collection

Bernard King

Biography

Bernard King (1934–2002), chef and television personality, grew up on a farm at Maleny in Queensland and appeared in his first talent quest at the age of eight.

1 portrait in the collection

Mr King (Bernard King), c. 1979

Jon Waddy

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

William Dakin, c. 1943

Gervaise Purcell

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Leigh Purcell 2012

Untitled #21/09 (after Ricci, 1700; featuring Matthew Mitcham)

Getting bare

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2015

How seven portraits within Bare reveal in a public portrait parts of the body and elements of life usually located in the private sphere.

The 1950s to the present day

Mo and beard timeline

Certain European leaders (needless to name) had the effect of making certain styles of facial hair decidedly undesirable in the years immediately after World War 2.

Reflections on portraiture

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2004

An extract from the 2004 Nuala O'Flaaherty Memorial Lecture at the Queen Victoria Musuem and Art Gallery in Launceston in which Andrew Sayers reflects on the unique qualities of a portrait gallery.

Australians in Hollywood

Magazine article by Simon Elliott, 2003

The exhibition Australians in Hollywood celebrated the achievements of Australians in the highly competitive American film industry.

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

Love scars

Magazine article by Katrina Osborne, 2016

Katrina Osborne immerses herself in one of photography’s most fearless chronicles.

The Bare story

General content

Curator, Penny Grist, reveals how this exhibition came to be

Diamond Doll

Magazine article by Karen Vickery, 2016

Karen Vickery delights in a thespian thread of the Australian yarn.

Their brilliant careers

Magazine article by Jenny Gall, 2017

Jenny Gall delves into Starstruck to celebrate some of Australian cinema’s iconic women.

Eileen Dunne in The Hospital for Sick Children, 1940

The incomparable Beaton

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

To accompany the exhibition Cecil Beaton: Portraits, held at the NPG in 2005, this article is drawn from Hugo Vickers's authorised biography, Cecil Beaton (1985).

Portrait Donors

Listed by year

Honour board

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