Australia’s richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, has reportedly called for the National Gallery of Australia to remove her portrait from display.
The image is one of 21 paintings that make up a single piece in Vincent Namatjira’s exhibition “Australia in Colour.”
The exhibition has been running at the gallery in the Australian capital, Canberra, since March.
Other subjects in the piece include Queen Elizabeth II, Jimi Hendrix, Capt. James Cook and, at the center, Namatjira himself.
Australian media has reported that Rinehart approached the NGA’s director and chair to request the painting’s removal.
The NGA said in a statement Thursday to CNN that it “welcomes the public having a dialogue on our 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,” the NGA statement continued. “We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art.”
Namatjira said in a statement that he paints “people who are wealthy, powerful, or significant – people who have had an influence on this country, and on me personally, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad.”
“I paint the world as I see it,” he said. “People don’t have to like my paintings, but I hope they take the time to look and think, ‘Why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people? What is he trying to say?’”
“Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too,” Namatjira added.
Rinehart, 70, is the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mining company that was founded by her father. She has an estimated net worth of $30.2 billion U.S., according to Forbes, and “remained unshakable” at the top of Forbes’ Australia’s 50 Richest list for 2024.
Australia’s National Association for the Visual Arts has spoken out to support Namatjira, CNN’s affiliate 9News has reported.
“While Rinehart has the right to express her opinions about the work, she does not have the authority to pressure the gallery into withdrawing the painting simply because she dislikes it,” NAVA’s executive director Penelope Benton said, according to 9News.
NAVA offered its “unwavering support” to National Gallery of Australia, 9News reported, stating that it was concerned that Rinehart’s demand to remove the portrait “sets a dangerous precedent for censorship and the stifling of creative expression.”
The-CNN-Wire
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