Portraits in Print
September 5, 2026–February 14, 2027
Parkes ACT 2600
Australia
Hours: Monday–Sunday 10am–5pm
The National Gallery of Australia presents a rare opportunity to experience over 50 prints by one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, David Hockney.
David Hockney: Portraits in Print will be on display in Kamberri/Canberra, Australia, from September 5, 2026–February 14, 2027, offering an intimate view of renowned artist David Hockney’s (1937–2026) personal life, creative practice, and deep engagement with portraiture and printmaking.
Portraiture was an ongoing and compelling part of Hockney’s extraordinary creative practice. Through more than 50 works drawn from the national collection that span nearly 30 years, David Hockney: Portraits in Print traces how the artist documented his own life and closest relationships.
From small prints to larger scale works, the portraits capture the people and cultural environments Hockney discovered in Los Angeles, Paris and London, cities he lived in during the 1970s and 1980s. He returned to several favourite sitters during this time, such as fashion designer Celia Birtwell, long-time friend Gregory Evans, and his beloved mother Laura, depicting them in naturalistic forms in one decade and in fragmented cubist styles the next. Highlights include The student: homage to Picasso, 1973; Celia in a black dress with red stockings, 1973; Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1976-77, 1976; Gregory in the pool, paper pool 4, 1978; Portrait of Mother III, 1984-87, 1984-86 and An image of Gregory, 1984-85.
The display showcases traditional print techniques such as etching, lithographs and photographs but also his adoption of unexpected processes including mylar sheets and faxes, revealing how portraiture has served as both conceptual foundation and aesthetic anchor in Hockney’s work. Presented alongside the prints are four iPad drawings on loan from the David Hockney Studio, highlighting his venture later in his career toward digital works of art.
Magda Keaney, Head Curator, International Art, National Gallery of Australia: “While the National Gallery of Australia has presented numerous exhibitions of Hockney’s work, this is the first to explore the enduring importance of portraiture in his life and practice. Over a lifetime of printmaking, Hockney produced a significant body of work which often featured portraits of those close to him. Through these prints, he demonstrates an extraordinary gift for drawing, a singular imagination and remarkable inventiveness.”
David Hockney: Portraits in Print highlights Hockney's longstanding collaboration with master printmaker Kenneth E. Tyler, whose workshops played a pivotal role in the development of some of the artist's most significant print projects. The National Gallery of Australia holds more than 1,000 works by Hockney as well as the complete Kenneth E. Tyler Collection.
Dr Nick Mitzevich, Director, National Gallery of Australia: ‘David Hockney was one of the most influential artists of all time. The National Gallery of Australia is home to the largest holdings of Hockney’s work in Australia, with the Gallery’s relationship being particularly significant to him given our shared connection with Kenneth E. Tyler. Through these prints, audiences to the National Gallery of Australia can experience his passion for portraiture – and how art and intimacy stood at the heart of his practice.’
Enquiries
media@nga.gov.au
