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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

What's on

Tuesday 1 February – Monday 28 February 2022

Collection display in Gallery Three, April 2023
Collection display in Gallery Three, April 2023
Collection display in Gallery Three, April 2023
Collection display in Gallery Three, April 2023

Collection display galleries

Exhibition open every day

The collection display includes a wide selection of portraits that tell extraordinary stories of encounter, exploration, independence, individuality and achievement in Australia.

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown

Women Make History

In Galleries Seven, Eight and Nine

Exhibition closes 29 May

Well behaved women seldom make history, as the saying goes, and the National Portrait Gallery, consequently, is full of awesome Australian women who refused to conform to narrow ideas about their place and their worth.

Jeanne Little
Jeanne Little
Jeanne Little
Jeanne Little

Portrait Play Takeaway

Daily from Saturday 4 December 2021

Pop on your spy goggles and become an art detective. It’s all in the details! Search for clues!

La Milo as Lady Godiva at Coventry
La Milo as Lady Godiva at Coventry
La Milo as Lady Godiva at Coventry
La Milo as Lady Godiva at Coventry

Virtual highlights tour

Rebels, rule breakers and revolutionaries

12:30pm, Tue 1 Feb
Live online

Are the scandals of the past still regarded as scandals today? Don your defiance and delve into history with us to see if times have changed.

Bookings required
© Forough Yavari
© Forough Yavari
© Forough Yavari
© Forough Yavari

Fine art portraiture: from concept to execution

with Forough Yavari

10:30am, Sat 5 Feb

Join award-winning photographer Forough Yavari on a journey to learn how to create intricate, gallery-style fine art portraits from scratch.

Bookings required
Neil Perry
Neil Perry
Neil Perry
Neil Perry

Virtual highlights tour

Bon Appetit!

12:30pm, Tue 8 Feb
Live online

Dine online with some of our most delicious portraits of Australia’s groundbreaking culinary experts.

Bookings required
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar

In conversation

Hoda Afshar

12:30pm, Thu 10 Feb
Live online

Join Curator Exhibitions Penny Grist to hear about Hoda’s recent book and upcoming exhibition Speak the Wind, and to chat about portraiture, photography, and her life as an artist over the last few years.

Bookings required
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch

Virtual highlights tour

Wool, ivory and mirrors

12:30pm, Tue 15 Feb
Live online

What’s it made of? Join us from wherever you are as we look beyond the sitters and artists to explore the materiality of some intriguingly made portraits.

Bookings required
Kate (Kate Grenville)
Kate (Kate Grenville)
Kate (Kate Grenville)
Kate (Kate Grenville)

Audio Description Collection tour

1:00pm, Fri 18 Feb

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

 

Bookings required
Drawing in the Gordon Darling Hall
Drawing in the Gordon Darling Hall
Drawing in the Gordon Darling Hall
Drawing in the Gordon Darling Hall

Drawn in

Alex Voorhoeve

1:00pm, Sun 20 Feb

Draw while listening to cellist Alex Voorhoeve.

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Virtual highlights tour

Colour me in

12:30pm, Tue 22 Feb
Live online

Feeling blue? Need something to brighten up your day? Join us online as we explore some of the most colourful hue-mans in the collection!

Bookings required
The Witching Hour - Elena Kats-Chernin
The Witching Hour - Elena Kats-Chernin
The Witching Hour - Elena Kats-Chernin
The Witching Hour - Elena Kats-Chernin

Little faces

10:30am, Wed 23 Feb until Fri 25 Feb

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

Bookings required
Animate your face
Animate your face
Animate your face
Animate your face

Animate your face!

Children’s workshop

10:30am, Sat 26 Feb

Join us in the Gallery for an exciting stop-motion animation workshop with Toonworld!

Bookings required

More events

Tuesday 1 March – Monday 28 March 2022
© National Portrait Gallery 2023
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency