For more than thirty years, Robert Hannaford has painted prime ministers, governors-general, judges and many of Australia’s significant public figures. Through his long partnership with Big hART, he has also created an extraordinary body of work portraying Australians whose stories are less often represented in our national institutions.
People, Place, Portraits brings together artworks by Robert Hannaford, Evert Ploeg, Gloria Pannka, Kumantjai H. Tjapaltjarri Pareroultja and Tsering Hannaford, alongside digital portraits created by young people through Big hART’s Digital Pop-Up Lab.
Developed through three decades of collaboration with communities across Australia, the exhibition celebrates Elders, young people, artists and community leaders whose stories have helped shape the nation. Presented at Australian Parliament House, it invites visitors to reflect on who is remembered, whose stories are celebrated and the power of portraiture to honour the people, places and communities that enrich Australia’s cultural life.
What's On
People, Place, Portraits at APH
Canberra, ACT
People, Place, Portraits is an exhibition that brings together artworks by Robert Hannaford, Evert Ploeg, Gloria Pannka, Kumantjai H. Tjapaltjarri Pareroultja and Tsering Hannaford, alongside digital portraits created by young people through Big hART. The exhibition honours Australians whose stories have shaped communities, inviting reflection on portraiture as an act of recognition.
Australian Parliament House, Canberra
This exhibition is free
Visit for more information: www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Whats_On/Event/Big_hART_exhibition
12 October 2026 - 11 July 2027