The artist drew a caricature of the richest woman in Australia (3 photos)
Now she demands that her portrait be removed from his exhibition.
Billionaire Gina Rinehart has demanded that the National Gallery of Australia remove her cartoon from an exhibition by local artist Vincent Namatjira. The painting was to hang next to images of Queen Elizabeth II and footballer Adam Goodes.
Viewers have already seen Gina's portrait in the Art Gallery of South Australia. The painting hung there from October 2023 to January 2024.
Gina owns the iron ore company Hancock Prospecting, which her father left her as an inheritance. As of 2020, the woman’s fortune was estimated at $13.5 billion.
The woman is recognized as a sponsor of the National Gallery. She donated several thousand dollars to the institution.
The billionaire also sponsored the Netball Australia sports festival. But it withdrew $15 million in 2023 after netballer Donnell Wollam asked for the Hancock Prospecting logo to be removed from her kit.
Vincent received the Archibald Prize, the most prestigious award for portrait painters in Australia. In his works, the artist often ridicules the authorities.
One of his paintings depicts King Charles III standing in his regalia in the middle of the desert. With this image, Vincent wanted to “deprive the royal family of power and rights.”
The exhibition is scheduled to open on July 21. It is unclear whether it will feature a portrait of Gina.