“Nolan: Origins” opens in Sydney: over 150 works and the complete Ned Kelly series reunited after 60 years

SYDNEY — The Art Gallery of New South Wales has opened its doors for “Nolan: Origins”, the first major exhibition devoted to the formative years of Sidney Nolan (1917–1992), one of the defining artists of Australian modernism. As the Australian Arts Review announces, the exhibition brings together over 150 works created from the late 1930s until 1953, when Nolan left Australia to settle in London.

The highlight of the exhibition is the reunion in Sydney, for the first time in more than 60 years, of the complete series of 27 Ned Kelly paintings — the Australian legend that turned Nolan into an iconic name. The works are displayed in the same way as in their original presentation in 1948, a historic return for the Australian public.

The Gallery’s director, Maud Page, stresses that “few artists have had a greater influence on the way Australians see themselves and the landscape than Sidney Nolan”, while the exhibition’s curator, Denise Mimmocchi, considers the works selected for “Nolan: Origins” to be among the most inventive in Australian art, as the Australian Arts Review writes.

The exhibition will remain open until 7 February 2027 and is accompanied by a rich programme of public events — talks, guided tours, workshops and films — as well as by a new publication accompanying the exhibition.