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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley’s major installation greets you as you arrive at the Gallery, in a work that invites conversations about the ongoing legacies of colonisation.

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.

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

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

Discover 50 colonial-era collection works alongside 50 works by contemporary artist Joan Ross. With wit and wry critique, Ross will make you consider the artist’s role in determining which stories are told, about who and why.

Tracey’s Moffat’s complete 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.

A most beautiful experiment responds to Congolese photographer Jean Depara’s documentation of Kinshara’s nightlife in the 1960s.

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.

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.

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.

Learn about the architecture of the building before journeying through the Gallery to hear about the lives and legacies of the portrait subjects and the artistic techniques used to tell their stories.

Join a short introductory tour of the National Portrait Gallery and discover a few key portraits.

Browse the full list of portraits from the collection that are on view now.

A free exhibition of over 100 works by contemporary Australian artist Thom Roberts. Step into his world and experience bold paintings, animation and installation works where people and places intertwine.

Drop into the Gallery any time for free creative activities inspired by artist Thom Roberts and his exhibition, The Immersive World of Thom Roberts.

Explore the Gallery at a quiet time of day.

Experience the joy and transformative power of slow looking. By taking your time with art, you can reconnect with the present, uncover hidden details and make personal discoveries.

Explore the beauty and symbolism of flowers in this weird and wonderful floral extravaganza that showcases more than 50 portraits from the collection, new acquisitions and selected loans.

Explore the Gallery at a quiet time of day.

Celebrating connection and collaboration, stay warm inside and out this winter with a new season of Drawn in at the National Portrait Gallery.

Draw while listening to Canberra duo Ruben (keys) and Shivi (bass) as they blend jazz roots with improvised beat-driven soundscapes.

Join us for a lively discussion, as three of our Access and Learning team members choose a portrait to surprise each other and us!

Join Shelley Ware, a proud Yankunyjatjara, Wirangu and Kokatha woman, as she showcases three portraits from the collection to speak to this year’s NAIDOC theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.

On show in Gallery 3, One-on-one showcases portraits of pairs from the collection from the 1800s to today.

Drop into the family space these school holidays for free creative activities to enjoy together.

Connect with our new permanent collection hang One-on-one on opening day, with a floor talk from curator April Phillips.

Join us for our annual family day inspired by our bold and dynamic exhibition The Immersive World of Thom Roberts.

Celebrate NAIDOC Week this winter with Portrait Play, a gentle and creative program for families and young children.

Drop into the Gallery for free artmaking activities inspired by the exhibition In Bloom.

Join Education Delivery Officer, Sophia Childs, as she explores three photographs all linked by Star Trek.

Join Gallery educators Marina Neilson and Ellie Brotchie for a half-day teacher professional learning focused on creating connection and community in the classroom while developing students’ critical and creative thinking skills.

Explore the Gallery at a quiet time of day.

We offer a free, tailor-made program for small groups of people living with dementia and their friends, families or carers.

Good things come in threes. Join Visitor Experience Assistant Abigail Tincknell as she explores three triptych portraits.

Draw to the rich textures and melodic improvisations of string duo Tabitha (cello) and Christopher (guitar) from Sonance Strings as they weave a sonic tapestry of contemporary, indie and folk sounds through a mix of originals and covers.

Animals are precious companions! Join us to talk about portraits in the collection that feature beloved furry friends.

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.

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.

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.

Join us for a Virtual Highlights Tour to celebrate the joy and creativity that dance brings to our lives. Discover how the human body's ability to sway, twirl, stamp and spin has been captured through the art of portraiture.

Join Melissa Malu, Head of Pasifika Collections & Engagement at the Australian Museum, as she discusses community identity and what portraiture means to her from a Tongan and Fijian context.

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.

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.

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.

The NPPP is an annual prize for Australian photographers. The year’s most outstanding photographic portrait is awarded a $30,000 cash prize and photographic equipment valued at $20,000 courtesy of our Imaging Partner, Canon Australia.

Enjoy drawing to the infectious grooves of Lara and Matt of Love Maps as they deliver their signature high-energy pop rock sound in an intimate, stripped-down format.

Super Kaylene Whiskey celebrates one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, proud Yankunytjatjara woman Kaylene Whiskey.