Free Exhibition: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026

Painted portrait of a young black man from the chest up. His chin rests on one hand and he looks directly at the viewer. He has a small afro hair style, painted nails and a clove earring. He wears a white shirt. The background is blue.

25 June – 7 October 2026

Floor 2

Free exhibition

Booking required for school groups only: see the School visits page.

The Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award celebrates the very best in contemporary portraiture and is one of the most important platforms for portrait painters today. The artworks explore the variety of approaches to portraiture, from the classic to the contemporary, and encourage viewers to reflect on the creativity of the artists’ processes.

Prize winners

Mac Dalessio won first prize for his portrait Jean-Denis. Chloe Cox was awarded the second prize for What’s Mine is Yours, and third prize went to Michael Slusakowicz for Charlie and Magda. Joel Nichols won the Young Artist Award for In Our Borderlands.

Painted portrait of a black man from the chest up. The man looks straight ahead and wears a black coat and black scarf.

Painted portrait of an older black man and woman. The man has his arms around the woman and she holds his arms with her hands. She has long grey dreadlocks and wears a dark orange top with a white and blue motif, plus a white and blue beaded necklace. He has grey hair and a short beard and wears a dark jacket and flat cap.

Painted portrait of two individuals from the waist up , both looking down. They are partially obscured by leaves and flowers. The background is neon green and there is a green wash over their faces.

Painted portrait of an individual's head and shoulders with patterns of light across their face.

Since its inception, the long-standing competition has attracted over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries and has been seen by over 6 million people. The highly competitive Award encourages artists over the age of 18 to focus upon, and develop, the theme of portraiture in their work. Using an impressive range and complexity of skill, artists explore both classical and innovative techniques that show the enduring relevance of portraiture today. Learn more: here

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