Andy Griffiths steps into the spotlight at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, where a towering four‑metre sculpture titled Andy, Andy greets visitors. Created by Melbourne artist Ronnie van Hout, the work stacks a series of diminutive versions of the author, each dressed in a bright Devo‑style T‑shirt, spiralling down to a tiny figure that seems to whisper the secret of staying forever young.

The piece leans against a stylised tree whose branches stretch toward the gallery ceiling, a visual nod to the whimsical worlds of Griffiths’s Treehouse books. The 3D‑printed structure captures the author’s punk‑rock energy, turning his inner child into a kinetic installation that invites viewers to look closer at every layer.

Surrounding the sculpture, a curated “Brainstorm: Inside the Mind of Andy Griffiths” displays hundreds of personal artefacts – from a jar of burps to a killer koala figurine, and an eclectic vinyl collection featuring Ratcat and the Eraserhead soundtrack. The objects, presented in glass cases, reveal the chaotic inspiration behind titles like The Day My Bum Went Psycho and Giggle Guts.

The exhibition also offers storytelling sessions, book‑swaps and family workshops, while paying quiet tribute to late illustrator Terry Denton, whose partnership helped shape the beloved Treehouse series. Together, the sculpture and its surrounding treasures celebrate a career built on rebellion, humor, and an un‑ending love for the imagination.

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