A controversial portrait of convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston is on display in Wellington.
The portrait, a 2.5-metre tall charcoal and acrylic work by Auckland artist Liam Gerrard, was one 93 finalists in the Adam Portraiture Award .
Weatherston was last year convicted of murdering his girlfriend Sophie Elliot in a frenzied attack.
Sophie's father Gil Elliot has told media that the portrait took him by surprise.
"It just seemed a strange sort of thing for anybody to do," he said on ONE News last night
"I don't like to be reminded of him."
National Portrait Gallery director Avenal McKinnon said the Weatherston portrait was probably the most contentious subject to have appeared in the biennial competition.
"You could, in some countries, say artists are not allowed to paint bad people or murderers. But in New Zealand we have this wonderful freedom, it's what democracy is all about. As a portrait gallery, we feel we have to encourage it," she told reporters.
The winning portrait by Paekakariki artist Harriet Bright is also on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
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