Australian-Thai artist Nathan Beard has won the final National Photographic Portrait Prize for an intimate photograph of his late aunt, taken after a fall at her home in Thailand.
She died six weeks ago, knowing the photograph was a finalist in the prestigious exhibition.
“It’s bittersweet being recognised for the photograph, because it’s like a final gift of hers to me,” Beard said. “I’m still very much in the process of mourning her – but this recognition is like a really strong validation of our bond.
“She always struggled with the idea of why I would constantly find her such a captivating subject. But I was very much excited to share with her that the photograph was a finalist. I’m sure if she was here, she would have been pestering me about whether I’d won or not up until the event.”
Beard – a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist – receives $30,000 and Canon equipment worth $20,000. His portrait was chosen from 30 finalists selected from more than 1,000 entries.
Mae Khong migrated to Australia from Thailand shortly after Beard was born. The last surviving member of her generation, Beard described her as “a constant presence in my life, and a very influential figure, along with my mother, in fostering a sense of cultural pride and belonging with the Thai side of my family”.
Mae Khong returned in 2022 to Thailand, where Beard tried to visit her every six months. She suffered a fall while he was visiting her; as he was the only person in the house with her, she insisted, despite the shock, on bathing herself independently that evening. With her agreement, he photographed her during that private moment, working quickly because of its sensitivity.
The judges said the photograph – “immediate and compellingly emotional” – was “a portrait of palpable intimacy”. They praised its tight composition, simple colour palette, and vulnerable pose.
“Even though we can’t see the subject’s face, we are drawn into a connection with her, perhaps sensing the weight of her life experiences or recognising our own loved ones in this quietly captured moment. There is both resilience and fatigue legible in this candid scene, [which] also speaks to the depth of familial connection between artist and subject.”
Beard had spent more than a decade photographing his aunt; she and his mother had been subjects or collaborators in his creative work, also spanning sculpture and video.
“She never quite wrapped her head around why choosing art as a career was a wise decision – probably rightfully so!” Beard said.
Phuong Nguyen Le won the $3,000 First Time Finalist Award for Nghỉ/Nghiêm (Attention/At ease), a portrait of his father marking 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War.
Hussein Abdirahman Mohamud won the $3,000 Art Handlers’ Award for Untitled:01 2025, depicting Eedo / Aunt Khadija, a community organiser who opposed the demolition of the Flemington Public Housing Estate in Melbourne.
The National Photographic Portrait Prize runs at the National Portrait Gallery from tomorrow until 11 October before touring nationally. This is the final Prize in its present form; the NPG will introduce a new prize model next year. A retrospective drawn from previous editions of the Prize accompanies this year’s exhibition. The $10,000 People’s Choice Award will be announced in early October.
