The National Gallery of Ireland has unveiled a new portrait of Wicklow native Adam Harris, founder of AsIAm, Ireland’s autism charity and the brother of Tánaiste Simon Harris.

The work, titled ‘We are neurodiverse, but not every human being is Neurodivergent’, was created by artist Amanda Dunsmore, who was the winner of the AIB Portrait Prize in 2024. It has now been added permanently to the National Portrait Collection.

Mr Harris, from Greystones, founded AsIAm based on his own experiences growing up as an autistic person in Ireland. He has become one of the country’s leading advocates for autism acceptance and inclusion, serving on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Autism Europe. He is due to take up the role of CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland in November.

In June this year, he announced he was stepping down as CEO of the charity he founded in 2014, saying it had “not been a decision which I have taken lightly”.

Speaking at the unveiling, on Friday, September 11, he praised the artist, Ms Dunsmore – who lives in County Clare, lectures in Fine Art at the Limerick School of Art & Design, and is known for work exploring social change, portraiture and political subjects.

“Being asked to sit (or in my case stand!) for the National Portrait Collection is an incredible honour particularly for an artist of the calibre of Amanda Dunsmore, whose previous work capturing equality and social justice causes have been powerful in engaging and changing public attitudes,” he said.

“I truly believe that representation matters and my portrait is less about me than the broader importance of reflecting the advocacy, culture and lived experiences of Ireland’s autistic community in our national cultural institutions.

“This is important not only in educating the public but also in ensuring autistic people can see themselves represented in the social and cultural life of our country.

“The National Gallery of Ireland has been a wonderful advocate of creating the same chance for autistic people, including through participation in AsIAm’s accreditation programme, and this latest demonstration of that commitment is both humbling to me and deeply meaningful for our community.”

Dr Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland, described Mr Harris as “an inspirational figure in Irish society” and said the portrait would be warmly received by visitors.

The portrait is on display in room 23 of the gallery.