Image: David Hockney (artist), Tyler Graphics (printer and publisher), An image of Celia, 1984-86, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased with the assistance of the Orde Poynton Fund 2002, © Estate of David Hockney / Tyler Graphics Ltd
‘David Hockney: Portraits in Print’ opens at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra on 5 September 2026. The free collection display will be presented in Level 1, Gallery 13, through 9 May 2027.
Featuring more than 50 works from the National Gallery’s holdings, the display focuses on Hockney’s exploration of portraiture through print. Spanning nearly 30 years, it traces portraits of people close to the artist and includes depictions of cultural milieus in Los Angeles, Paris and London during the 1970s and 1980s.
The selection includes ‘An image of Gregory’ (1984–85), produced with Tyler Graphics; ‘The student: homage to Picasso’ (1973), made with Atelier Crommelynck; ‘Celia in a black dress with red stockings’ (1973); ‘Henry with tulips’ (1976), made with Gemini G.E.L.; and ‘My parents, Bradford, July 1975’ (1975).
Hockney’s lithographs and etchings feature in the display, alongside works that show his use of drawing to portray sitters. Viewer advice notes that works in the exhibition depict male nudity.
