Australia’s Richest Woman Demands Museum Remove 'Offensive' Portrait Of Her
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Australia’s richest individual has reportedly demanded that an unflattering portrait of her by an Indigenous artist be removed from the country’s national gallery.
Gina Rinehart, a mining heiress and multibillionaire, personally pressed the director and chair of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra to strip the painting from its walls after it first went on display in March, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The gallery declined the request and has reportedly since received more than a dozen complaints from Rinehart’s business associates and financial beneficiaries following her campaign efforts, according to the Herald.
Attempts to reach Rinehart’s representatives and the museum for comment were not immediately successful.
The painting, which depicts Rinehart with a double chin and a droopy eye, nose and lips, is one of 21 similarly styled cartoonish portraits that make up Vincent Namatjira’s collection titled “Australia in Colour.” Others portrayed in the collection include England’s King Charles III, his late mother Queen Elizabeth, musician Jimi Hendrix, and AC/DC guitarist Angus Young.
“I paint the world as I see it,” Namatjira responded to the criticism in a statement to CNN and various other news outlets. “People don’t have to like my paintings, but I hope they take the time to look and think, ‘why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people? What is he trying to say?’”
Namatjira is from Indulkana in Southern Australia and has reflected on his heritage and the ongoing impact of Australia’s colonial history in his work, which includes prior, similarly styled paintings of Rinehart.
“I like to paint with a little bit of humour, humour takes away some of their power and keeps us all equal,” he said in an artist’s statement on a past portrait that depicts him as standing with Rinehart.
Rinehart, according to Forbes, has an estimated net worth of $31 billion after taking over her late father’s mining company, Hancock Prospecting. That inheritance has included a dark cloud over racist comments he made in the 1980s, including him suggesting that Indigenous Australians not contributing to society should be sterilized to solve “the problem.” He also spoke out against Aboriginal land rights.
Rinehart has not condemned or otherwise commented publicly on her late father’s views, according to News.com.au, though her advocates have pointed to her philanthropy with Indigenous groups as a sign of her personal stance on the matter.
Some of her financial recipients have again come to her backing, this time against Namatjira’s portrayal of her.
“Two portraits of our patron, Mrs Gina Rinehart AO, are of deep concern to us because they are offensive to Mrs Rinehart,” the Swimming Queensland chief executive, Kevin Hasemann, wrote in a letter to the museum’s director in April on behalf of members of the Australian swim team, according to The Guardian.
“Through her philanthropy, Mrs Rinehart has proven herself to be a great Australian, and we respectfully urge you to reconsider the inclusion of these portraits in your galleries,” the letter continued.
The gallery said in a statement to CNN that it welcomes public debate on its exhibitions and hopes that its art inspires people “to explore, experience and learn about art.”
Namatjira’s “Australia in Colour” exhibit is scheduled to run through July 21.
