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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.

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Nova Gina takes a smoke break, 2019

Elize Strydom

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020 Finalist

I met Dunghutti man Dallas Webster at his apartment in Parramatta. Over four hours, I photographed the transformation from Dallas to his alter ego, Nova Gina. It's an exhausting process and Dallas needed a few smoke breaks. We chatted about what it’s like to be a gay Aboriginal teenager in regional Australia. ‘This is not a life I ever considered possible’, he said. ‘But now that I'm here, I believe I've established a name for myself and should take advantage of the platform and raise awareness about the issues that really matter to me.’

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

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