The last time Ralph Heimans had a major exhibition of his work, it was in a castle in Denmark.
The Danish Royal family was so enamoured of his work - including his career-changing 2006 portrait of then Crown Princess Mary - that in 2018, it gave him a "mid-career" retrospective exhibition in the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark's National Portrait Gallery.
Now, firmly established as an internationally sought-after portraitist, Heimans is celebrating his first Australian exhibition in a building literally a world away from that Danish castle, the young and modern National Portrait Gallery in amongst the gum trees of Canberra.
Sydney-born Heimans, 54, was thrilled and excited to be on show in his home country for the first time.
"I've been abroad for almost my entire career, almost 30 years. But during that time Australia has remained this bedrock of support and particularly this institution," he said.
"The National Portrait Gallery has been behind me all the way through and has led to so many doors opening during my career. So for that, I'm really grateful and it makes perfect sense to show here."
Some of Heimans' famous subjects will be there for opening night on Friday of the exhibition, Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence, including former Governor-General Dame Quinten Bryce and former High Court justice Michael Kirby.
The exhibition features portraits of everyone from then Crown Princess Mary to Queen Elizabeth II, former prime minister Kevin Rudd to actress Judi Dench. Private commissions are also in the exhibition, including of billionaire Richard Pratt and his family, supporters of Heimans.
The artist hoped people saw the humanity of each subject.
"I guess the title of this exhibition puts the focus on power, but it's really the person and their interpretation of power is what interests me," he said.
The portraits glow against the dark walls of the gallery, drawing in the observer, to see the details Heimans has added and the story he has told about each person.
Curator Joanna Gilmour said the exhibition work had been sourced from around the world, including a large 2018 portrait of then Prince Charles, now King Charles III, flown in from England. The painting is 188cm by 252cm and shows Charles with staff in hand, ready to go for a walk, where Heimans said the monarch did a lot of his work and thinking.
"I think the thing with Ralph is he lived overseas in Paris and London and most of his artworks are on the other side of the planet and you can see, they're huge," Ms Gilmour said.
"They come in these massive crates which are perfectly constructed to fit that painting. They are very strong and can withstand all sorts of handling. Logistically, it is a complex exercise.
"And the other thing is, they don't travel unaccompanied. They travel on an aircraft with a conservator who makes sure they arrive safely."
Ms Gilmour said while the subjects might have been painted or photographed countless times, she believed Heimans' technique always revealed something different.
"It enables you to see beyond what they're wearing, what they look like, what their role is in society, to actually try and imagine who they are as people," she said.
- Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence is at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra from March 15 to May 27.
