Art Exhibition at Art Gallery of New South Wales - Nolan: Origins

Nolan: Origins at Art Gallery of New South Wales 
3 October 2026 - 7 February 2027

Experience the astounding creativity and poetic power of Sidney Nolan’s art in this in-depth exhibiton of the artist’s formative years in Australia. From indelible visions of the outlaw Ned Kelly, to epic portrayals of Central Australia, Nolan redefined perceptions of place and nation in Australia’s cultural imagination.

Including his infamous series of paintings on bushranger Ned Kelly (1946–47), the exhibition brings together around 100 major works produced before Nolan relocated to the United Kingdom in 1953 – years in which he forged a reputation as one of this country’s most distinctive modernist artists.

Nolan: Origins examines the artist’s engagement with the places he painted as he evolved his singular, enigmatic visual language, including St Kilda, Wimmera, K’gari (also known as Fraser Island), Central Australia and the landscapes of Ned Kelly’s story in north-eastern Victoria. The exhibition also tells of how Nolan interrogated the idea of ‘Australia’, invoking a sense of place through myths, histories, people and creatures imbued with his own personal inner meanings.

The exhibition is open in Naala Nura, (original, sandstone building). Enter the building, and make your way to the entrance of the exhibition on Lower Level Two. 

Bundle with an Australian Art Stories Tour or lunch at Crafted by Matt Moran or MOD Dining for the most immersive experience at Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

Opening Hours: Daily 10.00am - 5.00pm, and Wednesdays until 10pm. 

Travel for good: The Art Gallery of New South Wales is a not-for-profit organisation. Proceeds from tours go towards supporting our aim to make art accessible for all through our ambitious exhibitions and programs

Images: Sidney Nolan Ned Kelly 1946, National Gallery of Australia © The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/DACS/Copyright Agency, Sidney Nolan Self-portrait 1943, Art Gallery of New South Wales © The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/DACS/Copyright Agency, Sidney Nolan Pretty Polly mine 1948, Art Gallery of New South Wales © The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/DACS/Copyright Agency; Visitors to Naala Nura building at Art Gallery New South Wales © Art Gallery New South Wales, photographer Anna Kucera