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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.

WHO ARE YOU

Australian portraiture

Previous exhibition
from Saturday 1 October 2022 until Sunday 29 January 2023
Maria
Self Portrait (non-objective composition) (yellow cross), 1990 John Nixon
1 Maria, 1986 (printed 2013) Michael Riley. © Michael Riley/Copyright Agency, 2024. 2 Self Portrait (non-objective composition) (yellow cross), 1990 John Nixon. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Chase Manhattan Overseas Corporation, Fellow, 1991. © Courtesy of the artist.

Merging the traditional and unconventional, WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture is a co-curated combination of collections from the National Gallery of Victoria and National Portrait Gallery. Featuring 130 works across painting, film, photography, screen printing, sculpture, and then some – it explores our inner worlds, outer selves, intimacy, isolation, celebrity and more.

You’ll see artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Atong Atem, Howard Arkley, Vincent Namatjira, John Nixon and Tracey Moffatt. Think superstar sitters like Albert Namatjira, Cate Blanchett, Queen Elizabeth II, David Gulpilil and Jeff the Wiggle. And why not both? We give you John Brack, Nora Heysen, William Yang and Shirley Purdie, just to name a few.

From head and shoulders to shape and text, this exhibition will have you thinking about the ever-evolving and ever-expanding idea of portraiture.

WHO ARE YOU tour dates

Originally shown at the National Portrait Gallery
Saturday 1st October 2022 until Sunday 29th January 2023

National Gallery of Victoria, Fed Square

Friday 25th March until Sunday 21st August 2022

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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