Skip to main content
Menu
What's on Prizes The Portraits Watch
The Gallery Governance & Board Circle of Friends
Learn Access Search the website
close close
What's on The Portraits The Gallery Learn Watch More O

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.

Fragility, 2024 (printed 2026)

Naomi Hobson

pigment photographic print on paper (sheet: 84.4cm x 126cm)
Fragility, 2024 (printed 2026)

‘Micky is my cousin. It was the middle of the wet season and in between fishing places, we were all relaxing when this beetle dropped onto his face. He was a little shocked, but he gathered himself, pulled the clinging beetle off his face and let it wander off to live yet another day. I love spending time on the river with my family. The river is filled with invertebrates; they are the backbone of biodiversity, and they call the Coen River home too. It’s a shared space. I wanted to capture this connection and show that we can all live in harmony with nature and its diversity of species. Life is fragile.’

Southern Kaantju/Umpila artist Naomi Hobson lives on the banks of the Coen River in Coen, Queensland. Her paintings, ceramics and photographs address the powerful and ancient links between Country and identity.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist

National Photographic Portrait Prize
(More information, View all 21 images)

Where have all the flowers gone
Writing on the Wall
Samantha Harris
Rosemary

Related information

The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

The Gallery

Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
The National Portrait Gallery building at night
The National Portrait Gallery building at night
The National Portrait Gallery building at night
The National Portrait Gallery building at night

Support your Portrait Gallery

We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!
People walking away from the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery
People walking away from the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery
People walking away from the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery
People walking away from the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery

Plan your visit

Information on location, accessibility and amenities.
Home Contact Media Privacy statement User agreement Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2026
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