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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.

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Vivienne Binns, 2006

Jude Rae
Portrait, oil on linen

Gift of Vivienne Binns. Donated through the Australian Cultural Gifts Program 2026

Sam, 2018 Vivienne Noble

Sam, 2018

Vivienne Noble
Image
Kenneth Binns

Kenneth Binns

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 1967

Kenneth Binns
Kenneth Binns
Kenneth Binns

Kenneth Binns, c. 1940s

Max Dupain OBE
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of Danina Dupain Anderson 2018. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Nick Cave, Susie Bick and Luke Cave

Susie Bick

Biography

Susie Bick (b. 1966) was born in Cheshire, England. Discovered at age fourteen, Bick had modelled for album covers for bands including Roxy Music and The Damned, appeared in advertising campaigns for Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and other fashion houses, and walked the catwalk for Vivienne Westwood and others.

1 portrait in the collection

Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat
Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat
Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat

Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat, c. 1983 (printed 2005)

David Gwinnutt
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2005

Leigh Bowery

Leigh Bowery

Biography

Leigh Bowery (1961-1994), London-based designer and nightclub performer, was born in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, and attended school in Melbourne before briefly studying fashion design at RMIT.

2 portraits in the collection

Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery

Leigh Bowery, 1984

Robyn Beeche
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of Claudia Hyles, Dr Christiane Lawin-Bruessel, Gwenda Matthews, Gael Newton, Anne O'Hehir, Susan Smith and Dominic Thomas in memory of our friend, Robyn Beeche 2016

The mahi-mahi, 2019 Rob Palmer

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition, 2020

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.

Shakespeare to Winehouse: Icons from the National Portrait Gallery, London

Announcing Shakespeare to Winehouse

24 November 2021
Archived media releases 2021

More than eighty treasures from the National Portrait Gallery London will travel to Canberra for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from March 2022.

Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat

Hyperversity

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

Dr Sarah Engledow writes about the larger-than-life Australian performance artist, Leigh Bowery.

Bod Polly Borland

In profile

Polly Borland
Magazine article by Oliver Giles, 2023

Polly Borland talks to Oliver Giles about the celebrity portraits that made her name and why she’s now making more abstract art.

Lyndall Hobbs and Marilyn at the Come as your favourite blonde party, Blitz Club, London, 1979 Robert Rosen

Shiny, happy people

Magazine article by Glynis Jones, 2022

Glynis Jones on the Powerhouse’s retrospective of one of Australia’s foremost fashion reportage and social photographers.

© National Portrait Gallery 2026
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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