Australia’s richest woman angry over picture, demands removal of painting from gallery. Management

Australian mining giant Gina Rinehart did not like being portrayed with pink complexion, messy hair and a double chin. The work is by Indigenous-Australian artist Vincent Namatjira and has been on display at the National Gallery of Australia since early March. Angered, Rinehart contacted the art center and asked for the painting to be removed.

Rinehart comes from a family of mining entrepreneurs and is the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a company founded by her father, Lang Hancock. Gina Rinehart has an estimated net worth of R$155 billion (US$30.2 billion).

The painting is part of the “Australia in Colours” exhibition, in which the artist portrayed 21 Australian and global celebrities, such as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. The gallery reviews the show as “an incisive look at the politics of history, power and leadership from a contemporary tribal perspective”.

According to Australian website Sydney Morning HeraldThe art center rejected Rinehart’s request on the grounds that the institution’s artistic vision should not be influenced by one’s personal public opinion.

In a statement, the artist said what he expresses in his canvases is, “People don’t have to like my paintings, but I hope they’ll take the time to look and think: ‘This tribal man fought against these powerful people. Why was it painted?’ What is he trying to say?