Gina Rinehart: See the portrait that Australia’s richest person doesn’t want you to see
Billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart has ordered one of Australia’s top art galleries to remove an “unflattering” portrait of her painted by an award-winning artist.
Australia’s richest person approached Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia in April to have the painting by Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira removed from public view.
The chairman of Hancock Prospecting was one of 21 Australian icons portrayed by the Archibald Award winner for his exhibition ‘Australia in colour’.
The “witty” artist portrayed Mrs. Rinehart with a bewildered look on her face and no clear jawline.
The portrait was placed alongside other personalities depicted by Mr Namatjira, including outlaw bushranger Ned Kelly, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, late indigenous rights campaigner Eddie Mabo, AFL legend Adam Goodes and original ACDC frontman Bon Scott.
Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart (pictured), has pressured the National Gallery of Australia to remove an unflattering portrait of herself currently on display
It is understood Ms Rinehart has directly approached NGA director Nick Mitzevich and chairman Ryan Stokes to demand the portrait be removed.
She is listed as a ‘friend’ of the NGA on the supporters page after donating up to $9999 to the gallery.
But her request was denied after the gallery refused to let the opinion of a member of the public influence its artistic vision.
The gallery has since received more than a dozen complaints from people associated with Hancock Prospecting in the weeks since the denied request, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
It also received complaints from Australian sports athletes sponsored by Ms Rinehart.
Some of those complaints alleged that the gallery was “doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party” by refusing to remove the painting.
The NGA has decided not to respond to Ms Rinehart’s request and has kept the portrait (photo) of Archibald Award winner Vincent Namatjira on display
A friend of Mr. Namatjira, who helped with one piece for the exhibition, berated the athletes for trying to take down the artwork.
“If Olympic swimmers think they have so much say in the National Gallery, maybe Vincent and I should spend more time in the pool,” Ben Quilty told the publication.
The gallery called Mr Namatjira ‘known for producing paintings charged with dry humour’, who achieved fame as a ‘celebrated portraitist and a satirical chronicler of Australian identity’.
The exhibition itself was described by the gallery as a ‘wry look at the politics of history, power and leadership from a contemporary Aboriginal perspective’.
The gallery added that it “welcomes audiences to engage in dialogue about our collection and exhibitions.”
Ms Rinehart is one of 21 Australian icons portrayed by Mr Namatjira in his ‘Australia in Colour’ exhibition, which also features Ned Kelly, Julia Gillard, Adam Goodes, Eddie Mabo and Bon Scott
“Since 1973, when the National Gallery acquired Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles, there has been a dynamic discussion about the artistic merits of works in the National Collection and/or on display at the Gallery,” Mitzevich said in a statement.
“We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to discover, experience and learn about art.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the National Gallery and Gina Rinehart for comment through Hancock Prospecting.