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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.

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Morteza Arefifar, Manus Island Detention Centre, 2017 by Adam Ferguson

Morteza Arefifar, Manus Island Detention Centre, 2017

by Adam Ferguson

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

To Look Away – Tilda, 2015

General content

Finalist, DPA 2016

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Geoffrey Tozer

Geoffrey Tozer (1954-2009), pianist, achieved national fame as a child prodigy in the 1960s.

1 portrait in the collection

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John Citizen

John Citizen is the artistic alter ego of Australian artist Gordon Bennett (1955-2014), painter and multi-media artist, addressed issues of identity and power in a postcolonial context.

1 portrait in the collection

Nick Cave

The Amazing Face: a 14-day Dive into Portraiture

Archived media releases 2020

The National Portrait Gallery is offering a free online class on the art of portraiture from April 28.

Portrait of a Manchu Noblewoman, 18th-19th C.

Facing East

Magazine article, 2007

An exhibition at the Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington DC showcases the art of portraiture in Asia over two thousand years.

Lowitja O'Donoghue

Awesome Achievers

Stories from Australians of the Year

Touring exhibition, 2016

Celebrate and be inspired by talent, passion and achievement – and triumph over adversity. This exhibition features major portraits drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection and supplemented with works from private and institutional sources.

Aung San Suu, 2009 by Shepard Fairey

OBEY

Shepard Fairey Posters

Previous exhibition, 2009

Shepard Fairey is best known for his iconic poster Obama/Hope which he made in support of Barack Obama for the 2008 US election.

Heidi Margocsy

Heidi Margocsy

Perrin is an amazing amazing woman, and what I wanted to do with this particular sitting was create something raw and stripped back.

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Private and public ancillary funds

Donating to the National Portrait Gallery

Information Sheet for private and public ancillary funds donating to the National Portrait Gallery.

Self Portrait (the year my husband left), 2008 by Jude Rae

Observation point

Magazine article by Jude Rae, 2015

Portraits take many forms, from official statements of power and status to deeply personal testaments of affection and insight.

Self Portrait #5

Self Portrait #5

Self Portrait #5

Self Portrait #5, 2008

William Yang, John Fukuda

Portrait, inkjet print, black ink on paper

Purchased 2022

Zareth, 2009

I am mine

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2010

Dr Christopher Chapman, curator and judge of the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2009 contextualises the themes of the exhibition.

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Matthÿs Gerber

Matthÿs Gerber (b. 1956), artist and academic, moved to Sydney from the Netherlands at the age of sixteen in 1971.

4 portraits in the collection

Barack Obama, 2018 by Kehinde Wiley

The Obama effect

Magazine article by Kim Sajet, 2018

Kim Sajet reflects on two portraits with a power that extends beyond gallery walls.

Essington Lewis

Essington Lewis

Essington Lewis

Essington Lewis, 1952

Sir William Dargie CBE

Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of BHP Billiton 2003
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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