The Facts
On October 2, 2026, the Art Gallery of New South Wales announced 'Nolan: Origins', the first major exhibition dedicated to Sidney Nolan's formative years in Australia. Opening October 3, 2026, and running through February 7, 2027, the show brings together more than 150 works spanning from the late 1930s to 1953, when Nolan departed for London. In a landmark moment, the exhibition reunites the artist's complete 27-painting Ned Kelly series in Sydney for the first time in more than 60 years, presented as originally exhibited in 1948. The exhibition also includes significant loans from public collections and rarely exhibited private works, tracing Nolan's travels across Australia and his creative evolution.
The Signal
The exhibition underscores the Art Gallery of New South Wales' commitment to cementing Nolan's legacy as a defining figure of Australian modernism. For collectors and curators, the rare reunion of the Ned Kelly series—a benchmark of mid-century Australian painting—offers a singular opportunity to assess the full arc of Nolan's early vision. The accompanying publication and public programs, including a panel with Heide Museum of Modern Art curators and a film screening with director Justin Kurzel, signal the institution's strategy to position Nolan's work within broader cultural conversations, potentially driving renewed market interest in his early period works.
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- Artists: Sidney Nolan
- People: Maud Page, Denise Mimmocchi, Lesley Harding, Kendrah Morgan, Justin Kurzel, Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd, C.W. Stoneking, Madeleine Kelly
- Museums: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Heide Museum of Modern Art
- Locations: Sydney
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