Vincent Namatjira facts for kids

Vincent Namatjira OAM (born 14 June 1983) is an Aboriginal Australian artist. He lives in Indulkana, in the APY lands in South Australia. He is famous for his unique portraits.

Vincent Namatjira became the first Indigenous artist to win the Archibald Prize in 2020. He won for his painting Stand strong for who you are. He had been a finalist for this important art prize three times before winning. His art has also been chosen for or won many other big art awards. Vincent is the great-grandson of the well-known Arrente watercolour artist Albert Namatjira.

Early Life and Art Journey

Vincent Namatjira was born on 14 June 1983 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. He spent his early years in Hermannsburg. He is the great-grandson of the famous watercolour artist Albert Namatjira. Vincent identifies as a Western Aranda man.

After his mother passed away in 1991, Vincent and his sister were moved to foster homes in Perth, Western Australia. This was thousands of kilometers away from their family. Vincent has said that he felt a bit lost and didn't have many happy memories growing up.

When he was 18, he traveled back to Ntaria (Hermannsburg) to find his extended family. There, he reconnected with his culture, language, and homeland. He also became involved in caring for the land. During a trip through the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, he met his wife, Natasha. He then settled with her family in Kanpi.

In 2011, Vincent was inspired to start painting. His wife Natasha and her father, Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey, were both artists. They worked at Iwantja Arts, an art center run by Aboriginal people in Indulkana.

Vincent and his family visited Ntaria. There, they watched his aunt, the late Elaine Namatjira, create artworks. She was a leader of the Hermannsburg Potters. He also learned more about the important impact of his great-grandfather, Albert Namatjira.

Artistic Career and Famous Works

Namatjira began painting in 2012. He first made traditional dot paintings, learning from his wife Natasha. In 2013, he started painting portraits. His first portrait was of his great-grandfather Albert Namatjira. His artwork has been shown in art shows often since 2012.

His 2014 series, Albert's Story, tells the life story of his great-grandfather. It also shows how important Albert's legacy is. Vincent said about the series: "I hope my grandfather would be quite proud, maybe smiling down on me; because I won't let him go. I just keep carrying him on, his name and our families' stories". This series has 13 paintings. It shows moments from "Being Initiated in the Bush" to "Albert Namatjira in Prison". The series is owned by QAGOMA and can be seen online. Some artworks from this series were also in Namatjira's 2021 children's book, Albert Namatjira.

For the 2016 TarraWarra Biennial, his entry Endless circulation was a series of portraits. It showed the seven prime ministers who had been in power during his lifetime up to that point.

Also in 2016, he painted The Richest. This series showed portraits of the seven wealthiest people in Australia. It has been shown in many exhibitions.

Three Legends was Namatjira's entry for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in 2017. It was a series of three portraits. These were of David Unaipon, the first published Indigenous Australian writer; Jimmy Little, the first Indigenous performer with a top 10 song; and Lionel Rose, the first Indigenous boxer to win a world title.

He has painted Donald Trump several times. They share the same birthday.

In 2018, he painted Legends. This series featured portraits of Aboriginal men. It included singer Archie Roach, artist Gordon Bennett, land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo, and Australian Football League player Nicky Winmar. Winmar famously lifted his football jersey and pointed at his skin when he faced racism.

Close Contact (2019) is a special double-sided portrait on plywood. It shows a full-length Captain James Cook on one side and a full-length self-portrait of Vincent on the other. This artwork won the Ramsay Art Prize. It is now part of the collection at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Australia in Black and White (2019) is a series of 16 portraits drawn with ink on paper. The faces include media owner Rupert Murdoch, former prime minister Julia Gillard, and footballer Adam Goodes. It also features Albert Namatjira and Eddie Mabo again.

In 2020, he painted Goodes again, this time with himself in the portrait. This work was called Stand strong for who you are. He said he was inspired after watching The Australian Dream. This documentary was about Goodes and the racism he faced. This portrait won the Archibald Prize. This made Namatjira the first Indigenous Australian artist to win the $100,000 prize. The painting shows Goodes as "a proud Aboriginal man who stands strong for his people".

On 26 February 2021, Vincent's largest work was shown. It was originally asked for by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney. The work, P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future), is 14 meters by 9 meters. It is painted on a large wall in Sydney. It shows his father-in-law, Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey, next to an Aboriginal stockman on a horse. It also features Adam Goodes, Lionel Rose, Eddie Mabo, and Albert Namatjira. Vincent also included himself in the painting. He said: "This image is me pointing out to the Sydney Harbour, and I'm holding the Aboriginal flag. Here, the self-portrait brings the past and the present together, since I'm standing on the roof of my great-grandfather's famous green truck. It's past and present, and then pointing forward is like looking to the future; a strong, hopeful future for Indigenous Australians. The Aboriginal flag for me represents pride, resilience and recognition."

In August 2021, Namatjira's children's picture book about his grandfather, Albert Namatjira, was published. The pictures in the book came from his 2014 series Albert's Story. The book was nominated for an award in 2022.

In July 2022, Vincent created a huge animation. It was shown each night for two weeks on the outside of the Art Gallery of South Australia. This public art piece was called Going Out Bush. The animation included landscapes from his home in Indulkana and his grandfather Albert's home in Ntaria. It also showed Toyota cars and the Aboriginal flag.

Vincent Namatjira has been represented by THIS IS NO FANTASY gallery in Melbourne since 2014. The gallery has shown his work at many art fairs around the world.

Art Style and Themes

Namatjira has said that his great-grandfather's work has influenced him a lot. However, he has created his own special style. He explained: "That's why I paint the way I paint, with acrylic, and he paints with watercolour. And I paint bold portraiture figuratives and modern, and he paints watercolour. He paints about the land; I paint about the people and the Country."

Bruce McLean, a curator of Indigenous Australian art, said that reconnecting with his history had a big impact on Vincent. It gave his art a real push. He also called Namatjira "one of the leading lights of the emerging generation of artists from remote central Australia".

Namatjira's style is very bold. His paintings have been called caricatures. They often show famous and powerful people standing next to the artist. It's like a photo shoot. He often includes Captain James Cook, the British royal family, and scenes from modern Indigenous life. He is interested in people and their stories. He also likes to use humor in his paintings. He has said that Cook, the 18th-century British explorer, is one of his favorite subjects. One of his portraits of Cook was bought by the British Museum.

Art Exhibitions

Namatjira's first solo exhibition was in 2016.

His work has been shown in many places. These include the British Museum (2015), TarraWarra Museum of Art (2016), and the Art Gallery of South Australia (2017 & 2018). His art has also been displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach (2018) and Artspace Sydney (2018).

In July–August 2022, his work was shown with Kaylene Whiskey and Tiger Yaltangki in an exhibition called Iwantja Rock n Roll. This was at the Fort Gansevoort gallery in New York. The exhibition included his five-part series of portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. These were called Elizabeth (on Country) (2021). In these, the queen's face is shown with the Australian landscape.

Namatjira's first big exhibition showing many of his works is part of the 2023 Tarnanthi art festival. It is called Australia in Colour at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA). It has over 100 works made between 2014 and 2023. This includes new works and well-known ones, like his portrait of Adam Goodes. A large art piece called Australia in Colour has three rows of paintings. It shows many different people like Ned Kelly, Jimi Hendrix, Scott Morrison, Julia Gillard, Gina Rinehart, Eddie Koiki Mabo, and Cathy Freeman. His self-portrait is in the middle. Some of Albert Namatjira's carvings and paintings are also in the exhibition. This exhibition then moved to the National Gallery of Australia. It was on display there from 2 March until 21 July 2024.

In May 2024, it was reported that mining billionaire Gina Rinehart did not like her portrait in the exhibition. She asked for the painting to be removed. This request came from a group of 20 elite swimmers. Vincent Namatjira wrote: "I paint people who are wealthy, powerful, or significant – people who have had an influence on this country, and on me personally, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad. Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too."

Art Collections

Namatjira's artwork is held in several important collections. These include the British Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, and Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art.

Awards and Recognition

On 8 June 2020, Namatjira received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This was "in recognition of his service to Indigenous visual arts and the community".

His artwork has been chosen as a finalist or has won many important art awards. Here are some of them:

• Archibald Prize:
  • 2017: Shortlisted, Self-portrait on Friday
  • 2018: Highly Commended, Studio self-portrait
  • 2019: Finalist, Art is our weapon – portrait of Tony Albert
  • 2020: Winner, Archibald Prize, for Stand strong for who you are, featuring AFL player Adam Goodes and the artist
  • 2022: Finalist, Archibald Prize, Self-portrait with dingo
• Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards:
  • 2013: Finalist
  • 2014: Finalist
  • 2016: Finalist
  • 2017: Finalist
  • 2018: Finalist
• 2013, 2015: Finalist, John Fries Award
• 2015: Finalist, Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards
• 2017: Invited finalist in the University of Queensland Art Museum's National Self-Portrait Prize
• 2018: Finalist, Alice Art Prize
• 2019: Winner, Ramsay Art Prize, for Close Contact; worth $100,000. This award is for Australian artists under 40 years old.
• 2022: Finalist, Sulman Prize
• 2022: Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, a tax-free grant of $160,000 over two years
• 2023: South Australian Artist of the Year, SALIFE's Absolute Best Awards

Personal Life

Namatjira is married to Natasha Pompey. They live in Indulkana with their children.

He enjoys music, especially rock and Australian country music. He particularly likes Slim Dusty, whom he has painted several times. He has also painted Archie Roach and Charlie Pride. He says: "I love my rock. I listen to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, and Metallica while I paint. It puts me in my own world, and it blocks out everything".