National Portrait Gallery

at Old Parliament House
9 July to 19 September 2004

This exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of self-portraits in Australia, from the colonial period to the present. It highlights the establishment by The University of Queensland of Australia’s first collection of self-portraits. This unique collection will be established over time from a core group of self-portraits currently in The University of Queensland’s collection, including works by Mary Christison, Jeffrey Smart, Ian Burn, Mike Parr, John Nixon and William Yang.

The exhibition launches a new strategic identity for the University Art Museum as it relocates to its new home at the James and Mary Emelia Mayne Centre. It is the first in a series of exhibitions tracing shifting conceptions of selfhood and representation, which will culminate in a major publication on self-portraiture in Australia.

To look within was organised in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. Andrew Sayers, director of the National Portrait Gallery, co-curated the exhibition with Ross Searle, director of the University Art Museum. Many lenders, including state and national collections, have been generous in supporting the exhibition.