Skip to main content
Menu
What's on 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.

Portrait of a young Aussie, Matuse Peace, 2016

by John McRae

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Finalist

Portrait of a young Aussie, Matuse Peace, 2016

This is a portrait of Matuse, a young Australian man, taken in my studio. I gave him a bag full of clothing and asked if he would select a ‘costume’ to put on. In this portrait in simple Arab dress, I intentionally depict Matuse as a metaphor for certain prejudices and negative attitudes, conscious or unconscious, that our society at times has been conditioned to project. Here, I have purposely imposed such terms as ‘radical’ and ‘fundamental’ onto my willing subject, a young man who normally goes about in jeans and a t-shirt. Matuse is of Middle Eastern descent, and is a practising Muslim. He confronts the camera with openness, calmness and stillness. For him, the clothing is merely fabric, and not a signifier of any political stance or pretext. He also remains an honest young Aussie.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017
(More information, View all 49 photos)

My Two Sides
Kuei - The Sea of Gazelles - South Sudan to Oz
Sophie and Mercy
Fifteen

Other NPPP photos from John McRae
(More information)

Glitter and colour on the streets of Erskineville, 2015 by John McRae
2016 Finalist
Gender not specified, 2010 by John McRae
2011 Finalist
Portrait of Margaret Olley in her Paddington studio, 2011 by John McRae
2012 People's Choice Award

Related information

Richard Morecroft & Alison Mackay
Richard Morecroft & Alison Mackay
Richard Morecroft & Alison Mackay
Richard Morecroft & Alison Mackay

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017

Previous exhibition, 2017

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.
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!
Home Contact Media Privacy statement User agreement Social media and community guidelines
© 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