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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.

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Kel, 2018

Tom Farrell

Darling Portrait Prize 2020 Finalist

This is a portrait of Alan Kelly, one of the original Canberrans. Born in 1932, Kel grew up in The Causeway at the Kingston foreshore, in Canberra’s inner south. I got to know him through my work at a picture framing store in the city. He was a permanent fixture and a genuine jack-of-all-trades. 'Always a way in the bush', he would assure us. Though I have only known him through his ‘September years’, Kel would often talk about his removalist company 'Kel’s Kareful Karriers' and the time a group of kids approached him and his truck with a peculiar interest: 'Mister, you can't spell'.

Darling Portrait Prize 2020

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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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