Gina Rinehart demands for National Gallery to remove her portrait
Gina Rinehart has demanded that her portriat be removed from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra because she doesn't like it.
The portrait of Australia's richest woman appears alongside many others, including Queen Elizabeth and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, in an exhibition by acclaimed Archibald Prize-winning Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira.
Namatjira's works are known for having cartoon-like qualities, as he often paints famous figures as caricatures.
Nine Newspapers have the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) have been flooded with a dozen complaints about the portrait of Rinehart, including some from athletes she sponsors through her company Hancock Prospecting.
One complaint allegedly accused the NGA of “doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party” with the portrait of Ms Rinehart.
On the NGA website, Ms Rinehart is listed as a “friend” of the gallery, as she historically has donated up to $9999.
The NGA has refused to take the painting down, and the artwork will be on display until July 21st.
“Since 1973, when the National Gallery acquired Jackson Pollack’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 said in a statement.
“We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art.”
In response to the demand to have the painting removed, Namatjira released a statement saying, “I paint the world as I see it. 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?’"
"I paint 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. 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.”
Image credits: Getty Images / X (Twitter)