Image: National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery will unveil a new portrait of Australian children’s author Andy Griffiths by Ronnie van Hout from 26 September, with the work set to remain on display until 26 December. According to the gallery’s announcement, the portrait will be accompanied by an immersive space that explores the “weird and wonderful objects” said to inspire Griffiths’ books, followed by a family day with the author himself.
The news arrives through the gallery’s newsletter, which also previews several other programs and exhibitions, but the Griffiths commission is the main portrait-related announcement. The gallery describes the project in playful terms, saying it is “inviting you to put on your comfy adventure boots and step into the mind” of the best-selling children’s author. The wording underlines the institution’s interest in combining portraiture with interpretive display, rather than presenting the painting as a standalone image.
Griffiths is best known for his humorous children’s books, and the gallery’s announcement positions the new commission as a celebration of that body of work. Van Hout, named as the artist of the portrait, is the maker of the new commission. No further details about the portrait’s appearance, medium or installation have been provided in the verified source material.
The National Portrait Gallery’s newsletter frames the Griffiths project alongside other portrait commissions and activities, including a documentary about Tina Arena AM and a later display tied to the television series 'Portrait Artist of the Year'. Within that context, the Griffiths portrait continues the gallery’s practice of linking portrait commissions to broader public programming and audience engagement.
The newsletter also notes that the gallery is planning an action-packed family day with Griffiths to mark the portrait’s launch, though no date for that event is given in the source. The announcement instead directs attention to the exhibition opening itself, which begins on 26 September. The gallery says the portrait will be on show from that date through 26 December.
The verified information places the commission at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, where the institution opens 10am–5pm daily except 25 December. The gallery’s announcement does not add further curatorial commentary on van Hout’s approach or Griffiths’ participation beyond the planned family day, leaving the focus on the new portrait, the immersive accompanying space and the limited run through the end of December.
