The Fake Diploma That Hints at Hockney’s Early Rebellion

The National Gallery of Australia’s new show, David Hockney: Portraits in Print, brings together more than a thousand works by the British‑American painter, ranging from early etchings to his iconic pool series.

Among the items on view is a surprising piece of paperwork: a forged art‑school diploma that Hockney submitted to the Royal College of Art in place of his final course assignment. Rather than a completed project, the fake certificate was his way of subverting the formal expectations of his graduate program.

The diploma has since become part of the NGA’s Hockney collection and is now displayed as a tangible reminder of his unconventional approach to art education.

NGA head curator of international art Magda Keaney says the document illustrates Hockney’s “unfathomable creative drive and sense of experimentation,” traits that also surface in his later works with Mylar sheets, iPad self‑portraits and bold print techniques.

The exhibition runs from 5 September 2026 until 9 May 2027, offering visitors a chance to see both the celebrated prints and the cheeky diploma that foreshadowed Hockney’s lifelong habit of breaking the rules.

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