Image: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
The National Gallery of Australia will open 'Arthur Boyd: Tapestries' on 20 June 2026, presenting the full cycle of 20 monumental tapestries by Arthur Boyd in what the Gallery describes as a world-first opportunity to see the series complete. The exhibition runs through 18 October 2026 at the National Gallery in Canberra and is free to enter.
The tapestries, which Boyd commissioned from the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre in Portugal, were purchased by the National Gallery in 1975 and have not previously been shown together in their entirety. The series forms part of Boyd’s extensive artistic exploration of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, a subject that recurs throughout the Gallery’s presentation of the work and its related online material.
Each tapestry measures 2.5 by 3.4 metres. According to the Gallery, the finished works were woven at a scale more than 20 times larger than Boyd’s original source images and each contains between 4 million and 8.5 million stitches. The exhibition frames the series as both a major artistic undertaking and a demonstration of collaboration between artist and weavers, with the textile works standing as a record of translated imagery across media.
'Arthur Boyd: Tapestries' is presented as a major exhibition in Level 1, Gallery 12. It brings the tapestries together with lithographs, pastels and drawings that show the creative and technical processes behind the move from image to textile. The Gallery’s exhibition page also notes a curated playlist connected to the works’ musical associations, and a free drop-in space called 'The Weavers’ Studio' in the exhibition foyer, where visitors can try weaving as part of the Gallery’s 'Weave it with us' program series.
Boyd is described by the Gallery as a renowned figure in Australian art, particularly known for painting, while his tapestry practice has received relatively little attention. The exhibition publication is positioned as a scholarly, illustrated hardback devoted to the 'Life of St Francis' cycle, and the online exhibition text says it unpicks the series’ context through Boyd’s collaboration with the Portalegre workshop. The publication includes essays by Elspeth Pitt, Senior Curator, Australian Art, and Adam Lindsay, former Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Australia.
The exhibition is curated by Adam Lindsay and Elspeth Pitt. Related Gallery programming includes Exclusive Access Exhibition Tours on Fridays, Members Curator Talks on 4 and 15 August, 'Expert Yarns' on 7 August, and 'Babes in Yarns: Babies in Arms' on 12 August. The National Gallery says the exhibition is supported by Strategic Partners including the ACT Government and Seven West Media, with Qantas, Maddocks and other organisations listed among the exhibition supporters.
