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Colour photo of a woman working at a table in front of prints taped up on a wall

Meet the Artist: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Meet Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Renowned for her intricately layered and emotionally resonant works, Njideka seamlessly merges elements of her Nigerian heritage with the complexities of her experiences as a diasporic artist. Through her masterful use of collage, painting, and drawing techniques, she invites viewers into intimate narratives that explore themes of cultural identity, domesticity, and belonging.

Silhouette sleuthing

A mystery is always captivating. What if you had dozens to solve each week? That is my task and privilege as a volunteer at the National Portrait Gallery.
Colour photo of a woman working at a table in front of prints taped up on a wall

A journey in colour: researching Yevonde and Vivex

The Gallery commissioned artist Katayoun Dowlatshahi to make 25 colour carbon prints for the exhibition Yevonde: Life and Colour (2023). Here she tells us about her journey in making them and the historical developments that are part of the story.

A room in the Gallery with red walls, hung floor to ceiling with portraits

Designing the walls of the new National Portrait Gallery

It’s been wonderful to welcome visitors back through our doors since the Gallery’s reopening. Our major transformation has included a rehang of our Collection, but we’ve also re-decorated the walls on which the works are hung.

Black and white photo of a young boy standing and leaning on a seated woman

Assisting Yevonde

The thrilling thing about sharing research in the form of an exhibition is the feedback this generates. Unsurprisingly Yevonde’s gregarious nature and long career as a successful studio photographer impacted the lives of a great many people. Since Yevonde: Life and Colour opened in June 2023 several people have shared fascinating stories and photographs of relatives who worked with Yevonde.
Daguerreotype of a man wearing a headdress and holding a shield

Making a daguerreotype: James Tylor’s self-portrait

For the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery, we’re pleased to have commissioned Kaurna artist James Tylor to make a self-portrait daguerreotype. Used widely during the 1840s and 50s, daguerreotypes were the first commercially available portrait photographs. James worked with Australian art historian Dr Elisa deCourcy on this daguerreotype and, in this blog, she shares more about the making process and the history of daguerreotypes.