Vincent Namatjira’s bright, quirky and engaging exhibition of portraits from instantly recognisable pop stars and politicians to the British royals alongside Indigenous people who are not in the public eye reveals his take on Australia’s national identity. In his own words, “It’s also a portrait of the way I see Australia…….it doesn’t matter whether you are the queen of England or an old Gurindji man fighting for his land, whether you are a mining magnate, sportsperson, politician, musician, whatever – we are all equal here.” Or, as the National Gallery of Australia put it – “This major survey charts the artist’s career in a variety of media revealing the power of his painting and the potency of his word. His painting is laden with dry wit…. he has established himself as a celebrated portraitist and satirical chronicler of Australian identity. His paintings offer a wry look at the politics of history, power and leadership.” This major exhibition was shown at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra from 2 March to 21 July 2024 before travelling to other venues.
Vincent Namatjira won the Archibald Prize in 2020 and was awarded an OAM the same year for his contribution to Indigenous visual arts.
