Vincent Namatjira facts for kids

Vincent Namatjira (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 paintings, especially his portraits.

In 2020, he made history by becoming the first Indigenous artist to win the important Archibald Prize. He won for his painting called Stand strong for who you are. His art has also won or been a finalist in many other big art awards. Vincent Namatjira is the great-grandson of the well-known Arrernte 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 a Western Aranda man.

When his mother passed away in 1991, Vincent and his sister were moved to foster homes. These homes were in Perth, Western Australia, very far from his family. He has said that he felt lost during this time. He did not have many good memories of his childhood.

When he was 18, he went back to Ntaria (Hermannsburg). There, he found his extended family again. He reconnected with his culture, language, and traditional lands. He also got involved in looking after 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, Natasha and her father, Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey, inspired him to start painting. Both of them were artists at Iwantja Arts. This is an art centre owned and run by Aboriginal people in Indulkana.

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

Art Career and Famous Works

Vincent Namatjira started painting in 2012. At first, he made traditional dot paintings. His wife, Natasha, taught him. In 2013, he began painting portraits. His first portrait was of his great-grandfather, Albert Namatjira. Since 2012, his art has been shown regularly in exhibitions.

Albert's Story Series

In 2014, he created a series called Albert's Story. These paintings tell the story of his great-grandfather's life. They also show how important Albert's legacy is. Vincent hopes his great-grandfather would be proud. He said he wants to keep Albert's name and family stories alive.

This series has 13 paintings. They show different parts of Albert's life. These include "Being Initiated in the Bush" and "Albert Namatjira in Prison". The series is kept at QAGOMA (Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art). You can see them online. Some artworks from this series were also in Vincent's children's book, Albert Namatjira, published in 2021.

Portraits of Leaders and Famous People

For the 2016 TarraWarra Biennial, he painted Endless circulation. This series showed portraits of the seven prime ministers who had been in power during his lifetime.

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

In 2017, his work Three Legends was entered in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). This series had three portraits. They were of David Unaipon, the first published Indigenous Australian writer. Also, Jimmy Little, the first Indigenous singer with a top 10 song. And Lionel Rose, the first Indigenous boxer to win a world title.

He has painted Donald Trump several times. Interestingly, they share the same birthday.

In 2018, he painted Legends. This series showed portraits of important Aboriginal men. These included singer Archie Roach and artist Gordon Bennett. It also featured land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo. And Australian Football League player Nicky Winmar, who famously stood up against racism.

Close Contact and Australia in Black and White

Close Contact (2019) is a special double-sided portrait. It is painted on plywood. On one side is a full-length image of Captain James Cook. On the other side is a full-length self-portrait of Vincent. This painting 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. They are drawn with ink on paper. The faces include media boss Rupert Murdoch and former prime minister Julia Gillard. It also features footballer and anti-racism campaigner Adam Goodes. And again, Albert Namatjira and Eddie Mabo.

Archibald Prize Win

In 2020, he painted Adam Goodes again. This time, Vincent also included himself in the portrait. The painting was called Stand strong for who you are. Vincent said he was inspired by The Australian Dream. This documentary film was about Adam Goodes and the racism he faced.

This portrait won the Archibald Prize. This made Vincent Namatjira the first Indigenous Australian artist to win the A$100,000 prize. The painting shows Goodes as "a proud Aboriginal man who stands strong for his people."

Largest Work: P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future)

On 26 February 2021, Vincent's largest work was shown. It was first planned for 2020. This was to mark 250 years since Captain Cook arrived in Australia. But it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

This huge painting, P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future), is 14 m (46 ft) by 9 m (30 ft). It covers a large wall at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney. It features his father-in-law, Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey. It also shows an Aboriginal stockman on a horse, Adam Goodes, Lionel Rose, Eddie Mabo, and Albert Namatjira.

Vincent also painted himself in the work. He is pointing out to Sydney Harbour and holding the Aboriginal flag. He said this self-portrait brings the past and present together. He is standing on the roof of his great-grandfather's famous green truck. He said it looks to the future. A strong, hopeful future for Indigenous Australians. For him, the Aboriginal flag means pride, strength, and being seen.

Children's Book and Public Art

In August 2021, Vincent's children's picture book about his great-grandfather was published. It is called Albert Namatjira. The pictures in the book came from his 2014 series Albert's Story. The book was a finalist for an award in 2022.

In July 2022, Vincent created a huge animation. It was part of two festivals, Illuminate Adelaide and Tarnanthi. This animation, called Going Out Bush, was projected onto the facade of the Art Gallery of South Australia each night for two weeks. It showed landscapes from his home, Indulkana, and his grandfather Albert's home, Ntaria. It also included Toyota cars and the Aboriginal flag.

Recent Exhibitions and Challenges

Vincent Namatjira has been represented by THIS IS NO FANTASY gallery in Melbourne since 2014. His work has been shown at many international art fairs.

His first big exhibition of many works was in 2023. It was part of the Tarnanthi art festival. It was called Australia in Colour at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA). It showed over 100 works he made between 2014 and 2023. This included new works and famous ones like his portrait of Adam Goodes.

A large artwork called Australia in Colour has three rows of paintings. It shows many different people. These include Ned Kelly, Jimi Hendrix, Scott Morrison, Julia Gillard, Gina Rinehart, Eddie Koiki Mabo, and Cathy Freeman. His own self-portrait is in the middle. The exhibition also includes some of Albert Namatjira's carvings and paintings.

This exhibition then moved to the National Gallery of Australia. In May 2024, there was a discussion about a portrait of mining billionaire Gina Rinehart. Some swimmers and others asked for her portrait to be removed. Vincent Namatjira said he paints powerful people. He said he hopes people look deeper than the surface of his art.

Art Style and Themes

Vincent Namatjira says his great-grandfather's art has influenced him a lot. But he has also created his own unique style.

He uses acrylic paint, while Albert used watercolour. Vincent paints bold portraits of people. Albert painted landscapes. Vincent says, "He paints about the land; I paint about the people and the Country."

Experts say that reconnecting with his history has given his art a lot of energy. They describe him as a leading artist from central Australia.

Vincent's style is very strong and bold. His paintings are sometimes called caricatures. They often show famous and powerful people standing next to him. 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 likes to use humour in his paintings. He has said that Captain Cook, the 18th-century British explorer, is one of his favourite subjects. One of his portraits of Cook was bought by the British Museum.

Even though his portraits look like caricatures, they are also very skilled. An art historian named Wes Hill said they have a "level of sophistication that only a colourist, not a satirist, could possess."

Exhibitions

Vincent Namatjira's first solo exhibition was in 2016.

His art has been shown in many important places. These include the British Museum (in 2015), TarraWarra Museum of Art (2016), and the Art Gallery of South Australia (2017 & 2018). His work has also been shown in New York.

In July–August 2022, his art was shown with Kaylene Whiskey and Tiger Yaltangki in New York. This exhibition was called Iwantja Rock n Roll. It included his series of five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. These paintings showed the Queen's face with the Australian landscape.

Art Collections

Vincent Namatjira's art is held in several major 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 Honours

On 8 June 2020, Vincent Namatjira received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This award was for his great service to Indigenous visual arts and the community.

His artwork has been a finalist or winner in many important art awards:

• Archibald Prize:
  • 2017: Finalist, 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 (with Adam Goodes)
  • 2022: Finalist, Archibald Prize, Self-portrait with dingo
• Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards:
  • 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018: Finalist
• 2013, 2015: Finalist, John Fries Award
• 2015: Finalist, Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards
• 2017: Finalist, University of Queensland Art Museum's National Self-Portrait Prize
• 2018: Finalist, Alice Art Prize
• 2019: Winner, Ramsay Art Prize, for Close Contact. This prize was worth A$100,000.
• 2022: Finalist, Sulman Prize
• 2022: Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, a grant of A$160,000 over two years
• 2023: South Australian Artist of the Year, SALIFE's Absolute Best Awards

Personal Life

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

He loves music, especially rock and Australian country music. He enjoys listening to Slim Dusty, whom he has painted. He has also painted Archie Roach and Charlie Pride. He listens to bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, and Metallica while he paints. He says it helps him focus.