Mosaic portrait of drag artist Courtney Act unveiled in Canberra — ABC News Australia

A new mosaic portrait of Australian drag artist Courtney Act has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, Australia. The work was created by artist Paul Yore using thousands of items, including old nails, glitter, high-heeled shoes, a beer can and fragments of a Barbie doll.

As ABC News reports, the artist placed every element of the large mosaic with tweezers. Courtney Act gave Yore a bag of old nails, eyelashes and broken jewellery, knowing that the portrait would be created from found objects and mixed materials.

Details of the mosaic

The composition also includes an old Nokia phone — the same model Shane Jenek, whose alter ego is Courtney Act, used to come out to his parents. The portrait includes a statuette of Aphrodite, items featuring Australian symbols and a football. Courtney Act noted that she has never played football.

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Shane Jenek was born in Queensland and, according to Courtney Act, did not conform to established ideas of masculinity as a child. Courtney Act has been in the public eye for more than two decades as a drag performer, queer activist and television personality.

A year-long work

Paul Yore said he was initially intimidated by the gallery's proposal to create the portrait because he considered Courtney Act an iconic figure for the queer community. Work on the mosaic lasted about a year, and the artist described it as one of the most difficult in his practice.

Yore, who grew up in a Catholic family, drew inspiration from illuminated icons, including depictions of the Virgin Mary. National Portrait Gallery director Bree Pickering called the portrait a monument to queer culture. The mosaic is now the first work visitors see when entering the gallery.