National Portrait Gallery

NPPP 2018

See the 43 National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018 finalists and vote for your favourite.

Express Yourself

This exhibition celebrates Australians whose unique life experiences symbolise social and cultural forces. Uncompromising individuality defines them. The portraits are drawn from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of contemporary photography, drawing, and video.

Collection: Icons

Volume One

When a portrait communicates determination and individuality as boldly as these do, it has the potential to become an iconic image. For the Gallery’s 20^th birthday this display brings together a group contemporary photographic portraits of inspiring women and men.

Browse the collection

Portraits of people who have influenced and contributed to the shaping of Australian society.

Support portraiture

We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building collection.

20 years of portraits

Throughout 2018 we are celebrating our 20th birthday!

Gallery to undergo renovation work in 2019

The National Portrait Gallery will undergo renovation works in 2019 to maintain the integrity of its building and the Gallery’s collection of prized artworks.

Chaos 1 from series Negotiating the family portrait, 2017 by Marzena Wasikowska

NPPP 2018 highlights tour

Saturday 24 March 2018
until Sunday 17 June 2018

2:30 – 3:00pm

Exhibition ticket required.

Headhunt!

Explore, connect, create.

Monday 30 April 2018
until Monday 24 December 2018

10:00am – 5:00pm

A brand new interactive iPad app for kids aged 7-15 (and their adults!)

Mirawarri Art cart

Saturday 26 May 2018
until Monday 28 May 2018

11:00am – 4:00pm

Free activities for families to enjoy together. Create a #deadlyselfie with ‘Mirawarri’, a Walpiri Indigenous selfie and digital image-making app developed by the Warnayaka Art Centre with Gretta Louw and Sneakaway Studio.

Selfhood

Saturday 26 May 2018

11:00am – 12:00pm

Join Wiradjuri-Scottish artist April Phillips for a creative workshop. Explore ideas around identity and versions of self through experimentation with materials and art processes, including drawing, stamping and collage.

Emily Kame Kngwarreye with Lily, 1993 by Jenny Sages

Reconciliation Week highlights tour

Saturday 26 May 2018
until Sunday 3 June 2018

11:30am – 12:00pm

Highlights tours of the collection focussing on the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We Don’t Need a Map (2017)

Saturday 26 May 2018

2:30 – 4:00pm

Warwick Thornton travels around Australia looking at the cultural significance of the stars of the Southern Cross constellation.

More events

Trumble and Borthwick families (Mum front right, Angus smallest), ca. 1968

Humdinger

by Angus Trumble, 7 May 2018

At a meeting by teleconference of the National Portrait Gallery Foundation last week, I found myself reporting that our forthcoming exhibition So Fine is going to be “a humdinger,” whereupon Tim Fairfax chuckled and said that he hadn’t heard that expression for years.