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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.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Kristina

1986 (printed 2013)
Michael Riley

from the series ‘Michael Riley Portraits 1984-1990’
inkjet print on paper (frame: 37.5 cm x 71.6 cm, image: 35.0 cm x 69.5 cm)

In the 1980s Michael Riley photographed Kristina Nehm several times when she was a dancer with the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre in Glebe. This chic 1986 image of Nehm in sunglasses was used on the invitation card for the opening of the influential NADOC '86 Exhibition of Aboriginal and Islander Photographers at the Aboriginal Artists Gallery in Sydney. As Riley noted in Racism, representation and photography (Inner City Education Centre, 1989): 'I just want to show young Aboriginal people living in the cities today; a lot of them are very sophisticated and a lot of them are very glamorous. A lot of them have an air of sophistication which you don't see coming across in newspapers and television programs. I'm just talking about positive things really, positive images of Aboriginal people.' Nehm has appeared in numerous Australian films and television series including Bruce Beresford's The Fringe Dwellers (1986), The Flying Doctors (1989) and A Country Practice (1991). She was an assistant director on the mini-series Heartland (1994) and has worked as a producer for SBS.

Purchased 2013
© Michael Riley/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Michael Riley (age 26 in 1986)

Kristina Nehm

Subject professions

Performing arts

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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 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