Enjoy, sit back, and relax with some of our favourites from the Gallery’s collection, where they find themselves expertly – and comfortably – captured by their artists.

Portraiture. Not as you know it. We invite you to stretch, push, resist and transcend portraiture’s conventional constraints.

Join us in the Gallery for a free 30-minute tour of Portrait23: Identity, as we stretch, push and transcend portraiture’s conventional constraints.

Take a 30 minute tour of the Portrait Gallery exploring the collection and the building.

Australian portraiture of the mid-twentieth century was rich with the influence of European modernism, exemplified by the work of artists including Arthur Boyd, Judy Cassab and Clifton Pugh.

Spanning the 1880s to the 1930s, this collection display celebrates the innovations in art – and life – introduced by the generation of Australians who travelled to London and Paris for experience and inspiration in the decades either side of 1900.

Ponder your place in the world and reflect on your own identity by making your own ‘me tree’.

To celebrate Reconciliation Week, our free highlights tours will focus on some remarkable, resilient and inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the collection, exploring our shared histories, cultures and achievements.

In partnership with Big hART we are proud to present Gulgawarnigu - Thinking of something, someone, a national presentation of digital artworks created from Ngarluma country leramagadu (Roebourne), in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

In this hands-on workshop with Alison, discover more about her work as she teaches you the process of screen printing to create a portrait of someone who inspires you.

Join us in the Gallery as we explore Portrait23: Identity with audio descriptions for visitors who are blind or have low vision.

Draw while listening to Gracenotes as they sing an eclectic mix of harmonies inspired by contemporary, traditional folk, gospel and American genres.

Join Joanna Gilmour, one of this years judges for your members exclusive preview and be the first to see the photographs selected as this year’s finalists.

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects. Entries are now open!

Join us in the Gallery to hear from the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023 judges Tamara Dean, Daniel Boetker-Smith, and our very own Joanna Gilmour, as they discuss the artworks and themes in this year’s Prize.

Join award-winning photographer Kris Anderson as he talks about his creative process, and reveals techniques you can use for your own work.

Join us in the Gallery for this free 30-minute tour of the 2023 National Photographic Portrait Prize to hear more about the artist’s vision and stories of their subjects.

Get warm, cosy and creative with us this winter! Drop-in any time with family and friends for free craft activities.

Our Senior Curator, Joanna, will be taking a look at the portrait of Mary Chomley by Violet Teague.

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Through looking, playing and creating, go on a journey of speculation as we explore a variety of portraits and wonder what their stories could be.

Come one, come all! Book in (see what we did there?) for an immersive story time with us and celebrate NAIDOC week!

Celebrate NAIDOC with First Nations portraiture during a live National Portrait Gallery program.

Join us in the Gallery as we explore collection, exploring the artworks with audio descriptions for visitors who are blind or have low vision. Sighted companions and guide dogs are more than welcome.

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.