We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands.

Richard Lewer

A person wearing a blue beanie stands in front of a wall holding a multitude of unframed photos.

Richard Lewer, photo: Andrew Curtis

Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation

Richard Lewer went behind the scenes to capture the stories and portraits of people involved in the design and construction of the Art Gallery’s new building. His multipanel painting and suite of drawings celebrate the labour and personalities of those who have helped build Sydney’s newest cultural and architectural landmark.

Displayed:
Painting in our north building, Naala Badu, lower level 1 (3 December 2022 – 9 October 2023)
Drawing in our south building, Naala Nura, lower level 2, in From Here, for Now (5 November 2022 – 12 February 2023)

A painting of nine panels, each showing a view of a construction site and workers in different roles

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A worker in a hard hat on a construction site

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 1) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A worker in a hard hat on a construction site

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 2) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A person in a hard hat speaks on a mobile phone

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 3) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A group of people in front of a fenced construction site with high-rise buildings in the background

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 4) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A person in a hard hat stands in front of a large calendar and beside a garbage bin

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 5) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

Two people stand in front of a segmented structure with high-rise buildings in the background

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 6) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A pair of gumboots hang upside down on construction piping in front of a brick wall

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 7) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A person in a bulldozer on top of a mound with scaffolding in the background

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 8) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

Two people in hard hats hold a large piece of mesh above their heads on a building site

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 9) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

Two people in hard hats in a columned space

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 10) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

A person in a hard hat pushes a wheelbarrow in front of a fence and two giant cranes

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 11) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

On a construction site, three people stand around a load attached to a crane, which has a CFMU banner on the cable

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 12) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

Workers on a large construction site with trees on a hill in the background

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 13) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer

Three people in hard hats work towards a construction site that includes a giant crane

Richard Lewer Onsite, construction of Sydney Modern which resides on the lands of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (drawing 14) 2020–21, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Richard Lewer