Visitors to the National Portrait Gallery can now see a newly acquired portrait of Charli xcx, photographed by Harley Weir, following its addition to the Gallery’s permanent Collection.
Now on display in the History Makers gallery (Room 33), the portrait has been acquired through Collecting the Now, the National Portrait Gallery’s contemporary acquisitions fund, supported by a £1 million gift from the Bukhman Foundation. The space celebrates figures who have shaped contemporary culture and public life, placing Charli xcx among some of today’s most influential creative voices.
Photographed in 2024, Weir’s portrait captures the artist at a pivotal moment in her career. Moving effortlessly between experimental music and global pop success, Charli xcx has become one of the defining cultural figures of her generation, while Harley Weir’s distinctive photographic practice has established her as one of Britain’s leading contemporary image-makers.
The acquisition is the latest to enter the Gallery through the Collecting the Now fund, launched in 2025 to expand the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of contemporary portraiture. Recent acquisitions include works by Barbara Walker, Linder, Dame Sonia Boyce and Hew Locke, with further additions planned throughout 2026.
Anastasia Bukhman, Co-founder of the Bukhman Foundation, said:
“It is an honour for the Bukhman Foundation to support exceptional public institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery as they respond to the present while preserving the past. We’re proud that Collecting the Now is helping tell the story of our own time, and delighted that Charli xcx is now part of that story.”
Brandei Estes, Senior Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, said:
“Harley Weir has developed a distinctive photographic language that combines intimacy with a powerful sense of presence. We are delighted to acquire this striking portrait of Charli xcx, which captures one of the defining cultural figures of her generation while reflecting the Gallery’s commitment to collecting contemporary portraiture by the artists and photographers shaping our visual culture today.”
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