The third National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery from 5 March - 2 May 2010.

From a field of almost 1,000 entries, judges Dr Christopher Chapman, Curator, National Portrait Gallery; Joanna Gilmour, Assistant Curator, National Portrait Gallery; and invited guest judge Ms Kim Machan, Director, Multimedia Art Asia Pacific; selected forty-three finalists whose work will be included in the exhibition.

The judges will reconvene in March 2010 to select the portrait to be awarded the prize. With the generous support of Visa, the National Portrait Gallery is offering a prize of $25,000 for the most outstanding photographic portrait.

The National Portrait Gallery has a strong interest in photography as a powerful medium for portraiture. Photography is the dominant portrait medium of our time. The National Photographic Portrait Prize is an important aspect of the Gallery’s exhibition program that explores highly diverse approaches to portraiture. The exhibition is a compelling reflection of the evolving nature of contemporary portraiture in Australia. 

‘The judges wish to commend all the entrants and encourage them in their photographic work. We were particularly impressed by many of the entries that represented the unique and culturally-diverse communities of Australia’s cities and towns. Every single entry was given serious consideration during the two-day judging period.’ 

‘As judges with a great deal of shared experience of looking at photography, we attributed the compelling quality of the selected portraits to the vision of the photographer. In many instances, the selected portraits have a power that lifts them beyond conventional approaches to photographic portraiture.’

‘The 2010 exhibition promises to be a powerful experience for visitors. Some of the portraits evoke moments of self-realisation and several of the sitters represented in the portraits seem to state unashamedly: this is who I am.’

Dr Christopher Chapman 

The forty-three photographers whose work will be included in the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 are: 

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery from 5 March - 2 May 2010. The exhibition will then tour to four venues in Victoria and New South Wales: