© National Portrait Gallery 2026
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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ABN: 54 74 277 1196
‘My aunty migrated to Australia from Thailand when I was born. When this portrait was taken she was the last surviving member of her generation in my immediate family, an important figure who helped forge and sustain a relationship with our cultural legacy. This image was captured the evening she experienced a debilitating fall, one of many similar medical scares in the preceding months which relayed how delicate this portal to my heritage is. Insisting she bathe herself independently after this incident, her resilience in this vulnerable state captures the strength and intimacy of the bonds which have shaped my sense of cultural pride and belonging.’
Nathan Beard is a multidisciplinary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. His work draws from his Australian-Thai heritage and explores family history, archives and broad signifiers of ‘Thainess’ to expose the porous influences which shape the commercial and historical production of culture.
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