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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 26 September 2023 – Friday 26 September 2025

Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

At ease

In Gallery One

Exhibition closes 3 December

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.

Mary Chomley
Mary Chomley
Mary Chomley
Mary Chomley

The Cosmopolitans

In Gallery Two

Exhibition closes 8 February

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.

Self portrait, 2022 RJ Parker
Self portrait, 2022 RJ Parker
Self portrait, 2022 RJ Parker
Self portrait, 2022 RJ Parker

Gulgawarnigu

Thinking of something, someone

Exhibition closes 2 October

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.

Ruby (left view), 2022 Shea Kirk
Ruby (left view), 2022 Shea Kirk
Ruby (left view), 2022 Shea Kirk
Ruby (left view), 2022 Shea Kirk

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023

Exhibition closes 2 October

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.

Bookings available
Tempe Manning Self-portrait 1939
Tempe Manning Self-portrait 1939
Tempe Manning Self-portrait 1939
Tempe Manning Self-portrait 1939

Archie 100

A Century of the Archibald Prize

Exhibition opens 20 October

This major exhibition celebrates 100 years of Australia’s oldest and most-loved portrait award and reflects upon the changing face of our nation.

Bookings available
Maggie
Maggie
Maggie
Maggie

Maggie Beer

In Gallery One

Exhibition opens 7 December

Our most recent commission, the portrait of Maggie Beer by Del Kathryn Barton both combines a statuesque almost devotional likeness with a spell-binding and dream-like personalised symbology of the sitter.

Mīal 2022/2023 Archie Moore. On display in Gallery One, March 2024. Purchased 2023 © Archie Moore.
Mīal 2022/2023 Archie Moore. On display in Gallery One, March 2024. Purchased 2023 © Archie Moore.
Mīal 2022/2023 Archie Moore. On display in Gallery One, March 2024. Purchased 2023 © Archie Moore.
Mīal 2022/2023 Archie Moore. On display in Gallery One, March 2024. Purchased 2023 © Archie Moore.

Mīal by Archie Moore

In Gallery One

Exhibition opens 1 March

Archie Moore is a celebrated Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist whose practice is embedded in the politics of identity, racism and language systems. Mīal is a conceptual self portrait that counters expectations of what a self portrait should be.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM
HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM
HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM
HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

Ralph Heimans

Portraiture. Power. Influence.

Exhibition opens 15 March

The exhibition will feature some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date, from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent.

Bookings available
Paradise won, 2024 Ryan Presley
Paradise won, 2024 Ryan Presley
Paradise won, 2024 Ryan Presley
Paradise won, 2024 Ryan Presley

Ryan Presley: Paradise won

On view until May 2025

Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley's site-specific commission Paradise won is prominently positioned at the Gallery’s entrance. This ambitious new work invites conversations about the ongoing legacies of colonisation and celebrates First Nations survival and autonomy.

Twelve portraits of finalists for the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024
Twelve portraits of finalists for the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024
Twelve portraits of finalists for the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024
Twelve portraits of finalists for the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024

Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024

Exhibition opens 23 May

Launched at the National Portrait Gallery in 2022, the Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize is a competition for primary and secondary students, with four separate age categories across Kindergarten to Year 12.

William Nuttall with horses in field, 2023 Noel McKenna
William Nuttall with horses in field, 2023 Noel McKenna
William Nuttall with horses in field, 2023 Noel McKenna
William Nuttall with horses in field, 2023 Noel McKenna

Darling Portrait Prize 2024

Exhibition opens 22 June

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG.

Bookings available
Alexis with moon, 2024 Amos Gebhardt
Alexis with moon, 2024 Amos Gebhardt
Alexis with moon, 2024 Amos Gebhardt
Alexis with moon, 2024 Amos Gebhardt

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024

Exhibition opens 22 June

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 celebrates established and emerging artistic talent from across the country.

Bookings available
Those trees came back to me in my dreams
Those trees came back to me in my dreams
Those trees came back to me in my dreams
Those trees came back to me in my dreams

Joan Ross

Those trees came back to me in my dreams

Exhibition opens 24 August

The exhibition is a vibrant and dynamic exhibition by acclaimed contemporary artist Joan Ross. Transforming scenes from colonial artworks through a digital ‘cut and paste’ technique and her signature fluorescent yellow, Ross explores critical issues like climate change, greed and consumerism.

Some lads #1
Some lads #1
Some lads #1
Some lads #1

Some Lads

In Gallery Four

Open every day

The Some Lads series powerfully and playfully depicts Russell Page, Larrakia man Gary Lang, Muruwari man Matthew Doyle, and Graham Blanco, a descendant of the Mer (Murray Island) people.

Art Cart - children drawing in the gallery
Art Cart - children drawing in the gallery
Art Cart - children drawing in the gallery
Art Cart - children drawing in the gallery

Art Cart

Bright brooches: banksias and butterflies

10:00am, Sun 22 Sep until Sun 15 Dec

Drop into the Gallery this Spring for free creative activities inspired by our vibrant exhibition Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.

Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Wed 25 Sep

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Thu 26 Sep

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, 10:30am, Fri 27 Sep

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue

Gallery One

Open every day

Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this salon-style hang references the lavish 18th- and 19th-century European salons where paintings were hung floor-to-ceiling.

Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue
Lowitja O'Donoghue

Collection Highlights Tour

11:00am, 2:00pm, Daily from Mon 14 Oct until Sun 15 Dec

Join us in the Gallery for this free 30-minute tour of the collection, exploring portrait stories and the history of the building.

Bookings optional
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Wed 23 Oct

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Thu 24 Oct

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, 10:30am, Fri 25 Oct

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman

Gallery Two

Open every day
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman

Virtual Highlight Tour

Double portraits

12:30pm, Tue 26 Nov
Live online

Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of double portraits. What will this unique form of portraiture reveal about the sitters and the artists?

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Wed 27 Nov

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Thu 28 Nov

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, 10:30am, Fri 29 Nov

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Drawing in the Western Courtyard
Drawing in the Western Courtyard
Drawing in the Western Courtyard
Drawing in the Western Courtyard

Drop in drawing

Daily from Friday 29 November

Experience the vibrant flowers and foliage in our Western Courtyard through drawing and observation.

Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems

Opening Party

Carol Jerrems: Portraits

6:00pm, Fri 29 Nov

Join us for the opening of Carol Jerrems: Portraits to celebrate the work, life and legacy of one of Australia’s most influential photographers. See the exhibition for free, grab a drink and soak up the vibe of DJ Charlie Villas’ genre- and generation-bending beats.

Bookings closed
Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service, 1973 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service, 1973 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service, 1973 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service, 1973 Carol Jerrems

Carol Jerrems: Portraits

Exhibition opens 30 November

Carol Jerrems: Portraits is a major exhibition of one of Australia’s most influential photographers. Jerrems’ intimate portraits of friends, lovers and artistic peers transcend the purely personal and have come to shape Australian visual culture.

Bookings available
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning

if only we could take the time: contemporary Australian photography

Exhibition opens 30 November

This show, staged alongside the major exhibition Carol Jerrems: Portraits, spotlights the work of three contemporary Australian artists whose work sits in dialogue with Jerrems’ legacy.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Virtual Highlight Tour

Disability in the frame

12:30pm, Tue 3 Dec
Live online

This International Day of People with Disability, join us as we take a look at the collection and see how representation has changed over time.

Bookings required
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton

Audio described tour

1:00pm, Tue 3 Dec

Join us on International Day of People with Disability as we explore the collection with audio descriptions for visitors who are blind or have low vision.

Bookings required
Portrait of Anne Summers
Portrait of Anne Summers
Portrait of Anne Summers
Portrait of Anne Summers

Exhibition Tour

Carol Jerrems: Portraits

1:00pm, Fri 6 Dec until Sun 2 Mar

Join us in the Gallery as we explore our latest exhibition Carol Jerrems: Portraits and its key themes. Discover how Jerrems’ work defined a decade and continues to shape how we think about photography today.

Bookings available

Drawn in

Coolibah Coolective

1:00pm, Sun 15 Dec

Draw while listening to live music by four-piece band Coolibah Coolective as they perform acoustic songs that tell stories about the people and places that make us who we are.

Family space creative activities
Family space creative activities
Family space creative activities
Family space creative activities

Summer Family Space

10:00am, Wed 18 Dec until Sun 2 Feb

Drop in to the family space these school holidays for free creative activities to enjoy together. All activities are inspired by the vibrant and dynamic exhibition, Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.

Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One

Portrait Play

Faces and fables: Portraits that tell stories

11:00am, Mon 6 Jan until Fri 10 Jan

This summer, join us on an adventure through the galleries as we make, move and explore, connecting with our own stories and discovering the ones waiting for us on the walls.

Bookings required
Story time
Story time
Story time
Story time

Story Time

Nice and Slow by Sarah Ayoub

10:30am, 1:30pm, Wed 8 Jan

Escape the holiday hustle and spend some quality time with family at Story Time this summer.

Bookings required

Relaxed Morning

9:00am, Sun 12 Jan

Explore the collection, temporary exhibitions and major show Carol Jerrems: Portraits before our usual opening hours.

Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One

Portrait Play

Faces and fables: Portraits that tell stories

11:00am, Mon 13 Jan until Fri 17 Jan

This summer, join us on an adventure through the galleries as we make, move and explore, connecting with our own stories and discovering the ones waiting for us on the walls.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Wed 15 Jan

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Thu 16 Jan

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, 10:30am, Fri 17 Jan

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One

Portrait Play

Faces and fables: Portraits that tell stories

11:00am, Mon 20 Jan until Fri 24 Jan

This summer, join us on an adventure through the galleries as we make, move and explore, connecting with our own stories and discovering the ones waiting for us on the walls.

Bookings required
Story time
Story time
Story time
Story time

Story Time

Nice and Slow by Sarah Ayoub

10:30am, Tue 21 Jan

Escape the holiday hustle and spend some quality time with family at Story Time this summer.

Bookings required
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One
Visitors in Gallery One

Portrait Play

Faces and fables: Portraits that tell stories

11:00am, Tue 28 Jan until Fri 31 Jan

This summer, join us on an adventure through the galleries as we make, move and explore, connecting with our own stories and discovering the ones waiting for us on the walls.

Bookings required
Visitors to the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024
Visitors to the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024
Visitors to the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024
Visitors to the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024

Photography in focus

Teacher Professional Learning

4:00pm, Tue 28 Jan

Join photo-historian Helen Ennis and Gallery educators as we launch our professional learning programs for 2025 with a free session that explores ways to engage students with photography.

Bookings required
1/2 length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979 Carol Jerrems
1/2 length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979 Carol Jerrems
1/2 length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979 Carol Jerrems
1/2 length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979 Carol Jerrems

Photography in focus

Virtual: Teacher Professional Learning

3:30pm, Thu 30 Jan
Live online

Join photo-historian Helen Ennis and Gallery educators as we launch our professional learning programs for 2025 with a free online session that explores ways to engage students with photography.

Bookings required
National Portrait Gallery forecourt with the Geo Face Distributor by James Angus
National Portrait Gallery forecourt with the Geo Face Distributor by James Angus
National Portrait Gallery forecourt with the Geo Face Distributor by James Angus
National Portrait Gallery forecourt with the Geo Face Distributor by James Angus

Virtual Highlight Tour

Surprise me!

12:30pm, Tue 4 Feb
Live online

For our first Virtual Highlight Tour of 2025, three of our Access and Learning team members have chosen a portrait to surprise each other and us! Join us for a lively discussion.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Wed 5 Feb

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

10:30am, Thu 6 Feb

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, 10:30am, Fri 7 Feb

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Helen Ennis
Helen Ennis
Helen Ennis
Helen Ennis

Virtual Highlight Tour

February Photography Focus

12:30pm, Tue 11 Feb
Live online

Join us for our first February Photography Focus. Helen Ennis, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University (ANU), and Harry Kilcullen, ANU researcher, delve into photography from the National Portrait Collection.

Bookings required
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems
Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, '72, 1972 Carol Jerrems

Virtual Highlight Tour

February Photography Focus: Carol Jerrems

12:30pm, Tue 18 Feb
Live online

Join us for an in-depth discussion about the work of influential photographer Carol Jerrems, whose work is on view in our major exhibition Carol Jerrems: Portraits.

Bookings required
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning
where will the story take us, 2002-2024 (printed 2024) (detail) Katrin Koenning

Virtual Highlight Tour

February Photography Focus: Kumar, Koenning and Ang

12:30pm, Tue 25 Feb
Live online

Our February Photography Focus concludes with the work of three contemporary photographers – Ying Ang, Katrin Koenning and Anu Kumar – whose photographs are currently on view in if only we could take the time: contemporary Australian photography.

Bookings required

More events

Saturday 27 September 2025 – Tuesday 28 September 2027
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

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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.

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