Photographer Zoë Law currently has her work displayed in the gallery’s studio and spotlight spaces. For more than 50 years, the National Portrait Gallery has been a showcase of British cultural heritage, celebrating the icons and trailblazers who’ve shaped art, politics, and entertainment.
![[Ms Law is no longer a trustee of the foundation, having resigned in June last year amid her divorce proceedings with Andrew Law, who still controls it.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/15/shutterstock_editorial_14949335bq.jpg)
But its latest exhibition, Zoë Law: Legends, has raised eyebrows, with accusations of nepotism overshadowing its artistic ambitions. The free display, which opened in November 2024, features black-and-white portraits of well-known figures, including Noel Gallagher, Sir Rod Stewart, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Kim Cattrall. Gallagher’s portrait even comes with a specially created soundscape by the man himself. Running until 2 March 2025, some of the works will join the gallery’s permanent collection.
![[The National Portrait Gallery told The Times that its ethics committee were consulted on the donation from the Law Family Charitable Foundation and was made aware of the plans for Law’s display.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/15/01H3E9CT3B2K913TPHQ99RQGZ1.jpg)
However, controversy has grown over the photographer’s links to a major donor. Zoë Law is connected to the Law Family Charitable Foundation, which gave significant funding to the gallery’s £41 million refurbishment in 2023. A former celebrity make-up artist turned photographer, Law served as a trustee of the foundation until June 2024, stepping down amid her divorce from hedge fund manager Andrew Law, who continues to run the foundation.
![[A portrait of Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher, taken by photographer Zoe Law.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/09/00/01J78WGC46YSP5MGYTJ5M3HP4P.jpg)
Ms Law’s connections extend beyond the arts world. In 2015, she chaired the Conservative Party’s Black and White Ball, a glitzy fundraiser for some of Britain’s wealthiest donors. And sitting on the NPG’s board are Chris Grayling, the former justice secretary, and David Ross, a multimillionaire donor and friend of Boris Johnson.
