Massive art disagreement - Wealthy Australian woman criticizes her oil painting.
In recent days, there's been a peculiar feud in Australia regarding a painting. Housed in the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in the nation's capital, Canberra, it forms part of the series "Australia in Color" by artist Vincent Namatjira (40). The series consists of 21 portraits of individuals who have impacted the continent, including King Charles and Angus Young from the band AC/DC. Namatjira's paintings exhibit a slightly skewed and caricatured style, which he's well-known for.
Unfortunately, one subject in the series is not at all pleased with her representation. Gina Rinehart (70), the wealthiest woman in Australia, isn't too fond of her portrait. With a net worth of $30 billion, she made her fortune in mining and is aptly nicknamed "The Gina Rinehart of Mining."
Rinehart, a controversial figure to many, frequently makes headlines for her donations and courtroom spats. One such instance occurred when she had a spat with her own family. She gained a loyal ally in swimmer Kyle Chalmers (25), who won a gold medal for Australia in the 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Chalmers, who earned a spot on Namatjira's canvas, shared Rinehart's sentiment and voiced his concern. You should know this: Billionaire Rinehart is the most significant benefactor of Australian swimming.
Namatjira responded to the situation calmly, stating: "I depict the world as I see it. We're all the same in Australia, regardless of our backgrounds. We are all Australians."
The National Gallery rejected Rinehart's demand, and the painting still graces its walls. A representative stated that they "welcome public discussions about our exhibition."
To their surprise, the painting not only continues to adorn the gallery walls but has attracted global attention. Where only a handful of visitors previously saw it, the painting is now the talk of the town and even made it to international news outlets in Europe and the USA. American comedian Stephen Colbert even broached the topic on his late-night show, attracting almost 3 million views on YouTube.
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