© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Go Figure!
Contemporary Chinese Portraiture
Previous exhibition, 2012
A vibrant expression of Chinese culture and reflection on contemporary portraiture, drawn from the Uli Sigg collection.
A D Hope and his circle
Previous exhibition, 2007
To celebrate the centenary of the birth of poet Alec Derwent Hope AC OBE (1907-2000), the National Portrait Gallery exhibited a selection from its many portraits of Australian poets and authors.
Truth and Likeness
Previous exhibition, 2006
This exhibition seeks to explore the nature of portraiture, providing an investigation into the importance of likeness to contemporary portraits.
Kate Murphy
Cry me a future (Dublin)
Previous exhibition, 2009
Kate Murphy's video installation shows the artist listening to predictions made by a clairvoyant.
Contemporary Australian Portraits
Previous exhibition, 2002
Contemporary Australian Portraits is a cross section, a sampling, of some of the present-day directions in Australian portrait practice
Presence and Absence
Portrait Sculpture in Australia
Previous exhibition, 2003
This exhibition focuses on exploring national and communal identity through sculptural production in Australia, from the early decades of settlement through to the present day
Maiden Mother Crone
Upcoming exhibition
Enter the intricate and elaborate worlds of contemporary artists Del Kathryn Barton, Emily Hunt and Jess Johnson.
Beauty and strength
Portraits by Michael Riley
Previous exhibition, 2014
Influential Indigenous Australian artist Michael Riley (1960 - 2004) created these portrait photographs between 1984 and 1990 - they stand as an intricately connected group portrait of the vibrant urban-based Indigenous arts community in Sydney's inner-west at a formative moment.
Paul Kelly and The Portraits
Previous exhibition, 2013
Aspects of singer songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona are communicated by portraits selected from a range of artists and leading music photographers in this focus exhibition.
Justine Clarke by Jasmine Lancaster Merton
Portrait Artist of the Year
Exhibition
Season 2 of ABC’s hit series Portrait Artist of the Year is nearly here! See artists at work over eight episodes as 54 contestants vie for the opportunity to have their work hang at the National Portrait Gallery!
Fuzzy Prime Ministers of Australia
Previous exhibition, 2001
In the one hundred years since Federation, Australia has produced twenty-five Prime Ministers of all shapes, shades and sizes
Maggie Beer
In Gallery One
Previous exhibition, 2023
Our most recent commission, the portrait of Maggie Beer by Del Kathryn Barton both combines a statuesque almost devotional likeness with a spell-binding and dream-like personalised symbology of the sitter.
The Reflecting Eye
Portraits of Australian Visual Artists
Touring exhibition, 1996
As the first National Portrait Gallery travelling exhibition, The reflecting eye: portraits of Australian visual artists represents an important milestone in the history of Australia's National Portrait Gallery.
Some Lads
In Gallery Four
Previous exhibition, 2024
Tracey’s Moffat’s complete Some Lads series powerfully and playfully depicts Russell Page, Larrakia man Gary Lang, Muruwari man Matthew Doyle, and Graham Blanco, a descendant of the Mer (Murray Island) people.
Ralph Heimans
Portraiture. Power. Influence.
Previous exhibition, 2024
The exhibition will feature some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date, from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent.
Ingvar Kenne
Citizen
Previous exhibition, 2012
Swedish-born Australian photographer, Ingvar Kenne, captures both individuality and shared human experience in his ongoing portrait project Citizen.