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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017

Jacob Nash

inkjet print on paper
Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017

Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay dancer, choreographer and actor Beau Dean Riley Smith was photographed by Daly River artist Jacob Nash backstage in the paint-up room, preparing for his performance in the title role of Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Bennelong. Reserved for the dancers, the paint-up room is a sacred space where ochre is applied to the body as an expression of cultural identities and histories. Nash also designed the sets for Bennelong while head of design at Bangarra. Both men won Helpmann Awards for this production.

‘Song, dance and visual art all exist together within one story,’ says Nash. ‘My relationship to the design of the show, to these dancers, to this paint up room and these portraits – the whole thing informs me. It’s the blood. These guys are the storytellers and I’m in this room seeing them become those characters, moments, spirits.’

Related information

Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017
Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017
Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017
Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong, 2017

Space in between

Magazine article by Rebecca Ray, 2022

Rebecca Ray goes backstage with Bangarra’s Head of Design and photographer Jacob Nash.
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The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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