Gina Rinehart demands National Gallery of Australia remove her portrait

quote:

---

The mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has demanded the National Gallery of Australia remove her portrait from an exhibition by the award-winning artist Vincent Namatjira.

The image, arguably an unflattering picture of Australia’s richest woman, is one of many portraits unveiled at the Canberra gallery as part of the Archibald prize-winning artist’s first major survey exhibition.

The National Gallery has rebuffed efforts to have the picture taken down and said in a statement that it welcomed public dialogue on its collection and displays.

“Since 1973, when the National Gallery acquired Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles, there has been a dynamic discussion on the artistic merits of works in the national collection, and/or on display at the gallery,” it said.

“We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art.”

The portrait of Rinehart hangs alongside images of Queen Elizabeth II and football player Adam Goodes and is set to be on display until 21 July.

Before going on show in Canberra, the painting was on public display in Adelaide for months during the exhibition’s initial run at the Art Gallery of South Australia from October 2023 until January 2024.

The SA gallery has confirmed it did not field any requests for the removal of the painting.

A reproduction of the image is also part of a prestigious Thames & Hudson monograph about Namatjira’s work, published to accompany the survey show.

Rinehart is listed as a friend of the National Gallery after donating between $4,999 and $9,999 to the institution.

---