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Costa Georgiadis wins the National Portrait Gallery’s People’s Portrait

In 2024, the National Portrait Gallery took the extraordinary step of inviting the Australian public to choose the subject of its next commission. Twenty-five years after the Gallery’s first commission – the iconic Nick Cave by Howard Arkley – and nearly 90 commissions later, the people of Australia were invited to make their voice heard. Who did the public most want to see represented in their National Portrait Gallery?

Gallery Two

In profile

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

Illuminating history

Joanna Gilmour reflects on 25 years of collecting at the National Portrait Gallery.

WHO ARE YOU

Featuring 130 works across painting, film, photography, screen printing, sculpture, and then some – it explores our inner worlds, outer selves, intimacy, isolation, celebrity and more.

You are who?

Joanna Gilmour reflects on merging collections and challenging traditional assumptions around portraiture in WHO ARE YOU.

The story of us

Gallery directors Karen Quinlan and Tony Ellwood talk to Penelope Grist about the NPG and NGV collaborative exhibition, Who Are You: Australian Portraiture.

Reko Rennie, 2014

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2020. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Robyn Sweaney

Robyn's parents had two terriers, Wuff and Snuff. In spite of Snuff’s ominous name and a couple of close shaves – once, he jumped out of a moving car, and another time, on a long road trip, he was accidentally left behind at a petrol station – he outlived Wuff.

Uncommon Australians

This exhibition showcases portraits acquired through the generosity of the National Portrait Gallery’s Founding Patrons, L Gordon Darling AC CMG and Marilyn Darling AC.

Uncommon Australians

Sarah Engledow writes about Gordon and Marilyn Darling and their support for the National Portrait Gallery throughout its evolution.

History

How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be

Nick Cave by Howard Arkley

An interview with graffiti artist Marc de Jong about the art of Howard Arkley.

Howard Arkley 1, 1980 (printed 2012)

Purchased 2012

Howard Arkley, 1998 (printed 2010)

Purchased 2010

In the galleries

Christopher Chapman highlights the inaugural hang of the new National Portrait Gallery building which opened in December 2008.