Bio
Nena Salobir is a conceptual artist specialising in portraiture. In 2024, she won the Darling Portrait Prize Art Handlers’ Award for Self Portrait on Washcloth, which was exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery of Australia. The piece introduces a new body of work exploring cosmetics as the medium with which many of us paint self portraits every day. Her long-running Self Portrait in Society (2015-2026) is a cumulative artwork of portraits drawn while her subjects have drawn her at the same time. The subject of two solo exhibitions, and several experiential performances engaging the general public in her art, Self Portrait in Society thus far encompasses portraits from over 450 sittings with artists and non-artists alike. A special commission of the work, You Were Drawn Here, took place at Newtown ArtSeat throughout the summer of 2025-26. Nena lives and works in Whadjuk Noongar Country in Boorloo/Perth and Gadigal Land in Sydney.
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2024 'Darling Portrait Prize', The National Portrait Gallery of Australia
2017 'Nena Salobir: The Long Mirror’, Collab Gallery, Sydney (Solo)
2016 'Self Portrait in Society’, COMMUNE, Sydney (Solo)
2003 'Year 12 Perspectives' The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA)
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Taylor, Belle. "Nena Salobir: Perth artist wins major portrait prize with used washcloth". The West Australian. July 15 2024. Print and Web.
Musa, Helen. “Self portrait on washcloth wins art handler’s prize”. Canberra CityNews. June 19 2024. Web.
Martin, Amy. “Make-up wipe lookalike takes out national portrait prize”. The Canberra Times. June 16 2024. Print and Web.
Cameron, Alexandra. “Nena Salobir: creative expression in the face of self-doubt”. The Australian. September 29 2016. Print and Web.
Cameron, Alexandra. “People affected by traumatic art class experiences make the perfect candidates for Nena Salobir.” The Australian. September 29 2016. Facebook Video.
Self portrait on washcloth (2024) by Nena Salobir
Mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, foundation and lipstick on cotton muslin