[image]
[title]For most Aussies, the name Sidney Nolan rings a bell – he’s a mainstay in most national galleries and his work on Australian landscapes and the outback is globally acclaimed. In fact, according to senior art critic, Jerry Saltz, “You really owe it to yourself to see this mad, comic, bizarre breakthrough of modernism, akin, in fact, to Picasso.”
It’s all caricature portraits, vibrant ochre landscapes, and infamous bandits in Nolan: Origins at the Art Gallery of NSW from October 3, 2026 to February 7, 2027. Strap in and keep reading for why you should visit. Grab your tickets here.
What is Nolan: Origins at the Art Gallery of NSW?
Be prepared to take a step back into Nolan’s formative years. There are more than 150 works to see on his fascination with landscape and identity – can you believe that number is just the work that shaped his style before he moved to the United Kingdom in 1953 (and went on to acquire quite the reputation).
See Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly series reunited
While you may have seen the First-class marksman work from Nolan’s well-known Ned Kelly series permanently installed at the Art Gallery of NSW, this is the first time in over 60 years to see the whole collection together in Sydney, with the other 26 paintings in the series making the journey from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra to reunite in the Harbour City. It’s a glimpse at Nolan establishing himself as a young modernist in Melbourne circa the 1940s.
As one of the exhibition's biggest drawcards, these works show how Nolan transformed the story of the nineteenth-century bushranger into one of the most iconic images in Australian art.
Family-friendly activities at Nolan: Origins
There isn’t much better food for the imagination than tales of outback outlaws. The exhibition is an interactive way to teach little ones a slice of Australian history, from expeditioners Burke and Wills to the ultimate bushranger, Ned Kelly. Learn about modernism in Australia, embark on your own journey on the children’s activity trail and play with the thoughtstarters on the young artist labels that accompany the exhibition.
A must-see for visitors to Sydney
While Nolan’s depictions of the landscape will resonate with Australians, there is just as much for international visitors to discover. He painted Australian landscapes like St Kilda, Wimmera, K’gari (Fraser Island), Central Australia and north-eastern Victoria as a vast imaginative space, giving modern shape to the mythologies and stories he saw embedded in it to challenge what ‘Australia’ means.
Nolan: Origins tickets, dates and Wednesday night deals
Tickets for Nolan: Origins start from $35 for adults, and $10 for youth from 12 to 17 years old. Making weekend or school holiday plans? You can snap up a family pass for two adults and up to three youth for $80.
Don’t miss Art After Hours at the Art Gallery, with extended Wednesday evening opening from 5pm to 10pm. Not only are you spicing up your midweek, but you’ll score two-for-one tickets.
Find out more about the exhibition and book your tickets here.