Exhibition of works from celebrated, if controversial, artist Paul Gauguin opens at National Gallery of Australia

Three Tahitians (Trois Tahitiens) by Paul Gauguin, 1899, is one of the works on display at the National Gallery. (ABC News: Jostina Basta)

After years in the making, the National Gallery of Australia has opened an exhibition displaying the work of one the world's most famous artists, Paul Gauguin.

While the 19th-century French Post-Impressionist was a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist and writer, the exhibition's curator and former director of the Louvre Museum, Henri Loyrette, says the artist is best known for his paintings.

"[Gauguin] always tried to innovate, to find new techniques, to say something in different words … he always invents something new," Mr Loryette said.

"He's a very special artist, I think the first global artist looking at all kinds of works, all kinds of civilisations … but not only in a formal way."

He's also known for his creative but tumultuous relationship with Vincent Van Gogh, in which Van Gogh cut off his left ear and had a breakdown after quarrelling with the artist.

Exploring new interactions with the artist's work

The exhibition includes some of his most recognisable works, including his creative journey in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.

Mr Loyrette said that Gauguin immersed himself into the "civilisations" he ventured to.

"In the places where he stayed, the climate, the sun, the flowers, the smells, the music, the sounds — everything was important," Mr Loyrette said.

"In his paintings and his works, it's something you feel."

While his artworks transport visitors to the land and its people, the gallery also acknowledges the controversy surrounding Gauguin's life and work during his time in French Polynesia.

"Everyone knew it at the time … his relationship with many young vahine [Central Polynesian women], for example," Mr Loyrette said.

Mr Loyrette said it was important to recognise the artist's efforts to fight against colonial powers through his work within the context of his time period.

"It's something you have to balance with different fights against colonial domination [and] the artistic climate of its time … so I mean, you have to consider him globally," he said.

Considering this, director of the National Gallery Nick Mitzevich said bringing Gauguin's work back to the Pacific was recognised as a great responsibility.

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of talks, films and podcasts that will explore the artist's controversial legacy from a contemporary lens.

"Like many artists, he comes with a complicated history, and that complexity needs to be explored," Mr Mitzevich said.

"By working with Pacific artists, we're widening the discussion about culture in the 21st century and ensuring there are more voices, rather than just an art historical voice, at the table."

The exhibition is presented alongside an installation called Gauguin's World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao — an installation that celebrates artists from the Pacific region including the SaVĀge K'lub collective.

Mr Mitzevich said the exhibition has been well-received by the Polynesian community, where the opening saw a delegation of cultural performances.

"They've come to this exhibition with great enthusiasm because it's an opportunity to elevate French Polynesian culture to a wider audience," he said.

A difficult journey to the nation's capital

As the largest showcase of Gauguin's work in the Pacific, bringing his work down under hasn't come without its challenges.

"Our partners travelled the world to convince 65 individual lenders and private institutions across the world to lend their work, and sometimes to the furthest point from their galleries," Mr Mitzevich said.

He said he was surprised they managed to pull the exhibition together, considering the challenges around transporting Gauguin's work.

"Many works of Gauguin are very fragile," he said.

"He used bad materials sometimes — especially at the end of his life — and many works are in bad condition."

Nonetheless, the gallery is hoping the exhibition will attract visitors from across the region.

"We've had lots of enthusiasm from across Australia, but also from New Zealand, the South Pacific and Singapore, because we've never seen Gauguin in this region before," Mr Mitzevich said.

"We're looking forward to attracting people from across the country, but also across the South Pacific, to see this extraordinary exhibition."