Portrait Exchange July ‘25

Portrait Exchange is a drawing event bringing people together to create and exchange art.

Sitting opposite someone—a familiar face or someone you meet on the night—you will each draw each other’s portrait, gifting them the artwork.

We excitedly welcome experimental approaches to portraiture and/or drawing that maintain the spirit of gift-giving, connection and creative exchange.

Portrait Exchange is facilitated by local artist Jaslyn Brown who can assist with anything drawing-related. Basic drawing materials are provided.

About

Portrait Exchange began in 2022 as an experiment in cultivating connection and community through drawing reciprocal live portraits. Over the past three years, the event has evolved organically into a popular creative-social space that explores portrait drawing in an expansive, free-form way, grounded in acts of gift-giving and exchange.

Live Sounds🤝Live Art-making

Portrait Exchange now collaborates with local creatives who work with sound to contribute live improvised offerings to the exchange, colouring each drawing session with a different ambient soundscape.

This July we welcome Eora DJ Kafi who will be crafting an ambient set to draw to — a heart-warming and experimental blend of South Asian sounds 🌀