Outrage over her own portrait Billionaire wants her portrait removed from museum
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart (70) has become part of a series of portraits by an indigenous artist. But Rinehart doesn't like her portrait at all and wants to have it taken down - but the National Gallery in Canberra refuses.
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- Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart is at loggerheads with the National Gallery in Canberra.
- She is demanding that the museum management remove her portrait from a current exhibition.
- Rinehart does not agree with the satirical depiction of her picture.
- The portrait of Rinehart is part of a series of 21 portraits by the Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira.
Gina Rinehart is a famous personality in Australia. She is the business-minded figurehead of the Australian mining industry - and the richest woman in the country. But she is also a divisive figure: Rinehart likes to deny climate change, she categorically rejects calls for a minimum wage and she likes to use her wealth to influence politics and society.
Her fame has now also helped Rinehart to become part of a portrait series by contemporary painter Vincent Namatjira, a great-grandson of the iconic painter Albert Namatjira. The work "Australia in Color" shows 21 well-known people. Alongside Rinehart are important personalities such as Australian football player Adam Goodes, Queen Elizabeth II, explorer James Cook, AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and a self-portrait of Namatjira. The work has been on display at the National Gallery in Canberra since March. Some of the portraits are satirically exaggerated, others are more true to the original, but all of the Aboriginal artist's pictures follow a clear line.
Not exactly flattering
The portrait of Gina Rinehart is undoubtedly one of the less flattering pictures. Her double chin comes to the fore and the downturned corners of her mouth do not lend her portrait a representative expression. And that bothers Australia's richest woman immensely. According to media reports, Rinehart has demanded that her portrait be removed from the National Gallery. She does not want to be part of the exhibition, according to the Guardian
However, the National Gallery does not want to give in to Rinehart's demand. Although the museum welcomes public dialog about its exhibitions, it rejects the removal of the painting, according to a statement. "We present artworks to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art," said the museum management.
The public furor surrounding the removal of the painting has not only helped the Australian billionaire, but above all the portrait of Vincent Namatjira, to attract worldwide attention. The picture and the story behind it went viral on social media. The portrait was shared online thousands of times - to the unintentional chagrin of Gina Rinehart. The National Gallery in Canberra and not least Aboriginal artist Vincent Namatjira, on the other hand, are delighted with the unexpected publicity for the portrait series. The hype caused by Rinehart about the removal of the paintings has really sparked public curiosity about the exhibition in Canberra.