The 70-year-old mining heiress Gina Rinehart is a billionaire; her father was an Australian iron ore explorer.
According to the BBC, which cited local media, Australia’s richest lady, Gina Rinehart, has ordered that her image be taken down from public display at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) during a current exhibition.
Canberra, the capital of Australia, is home to the gallery hosting the “Australia in Colour” show, which has twenty-one paintings. Vincent Namatjira, an Aboriginal artist widely recognized for his caricature style, created the artworks.
The artwork features the late Queen Elizabeth II, American singer Jimi Hendrix, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, and campaigner for Aboriginal rights Vincent Lingiari.
What response did NGA provide to the removal request?
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) expressed to CNN that it “welcomes public dialogue on its collection and displays.”
The statement went on to say, “Since the National Gallery purchased Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles in 1973, there has been a vibrant debate on the aesthetic value of the pieces in the national collection and/or on exhibit at the Gallery. We display artistic creations to the Australian public in an effort to encourage exploration, engagement, and education about the arts.
What was said by the artist?
According to CNN, Vincent Namatjira claimed that he depicts “wealthy, powerful and significant” individuals that have had an impact on him and his nation, “whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or bad.”
“I depict reality as I perceive it in my paintings. I hope that people will look at my paintings and ask themselves, “Why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people?” They don’t have to like them. What is he attempting to convey? Namatjira stated to CNN.
“I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too,” he continued. “Some people might not like it, others might find it funny.”
Concerning Gina Rinehart
The late mining tycoon Lang Hancock has only one daughter. She took over her father’s firm, Hancock Prospecting, more than thirty years ago, and since then, she has grown it to become a billion-dollar enterprise. Hancock Prospecting’s executive chairman is Rinehart.
The 70-year-old Rinehart is valued at $30.9 billion. Forbes also claims that she is Australia’s second-largest cow producer.
One of her twin children filed a lawsuit against her in 2011 over what appeared to be a business disagreement.
Gina Rinehart was married twice. She wed Frank Rinehart, a lawyer who passed away in 1990, and then she married Greg Hayward, a cab driver, with whom she had a son and a daughter. Hope, one of their twin children, is the one who filed the complaint.