Writer and illustrator Vincent Namatjira is the great-grandson of Albert Namatjira, one of Australia’s most important artists who changed the face of art in Australia through his use of vibrant purples and oranges in dynamic desert landscapes.
Albert was a Western Aranda man from Ntaria (Hermannsburg) who grew up on a Lutheran mission. Vincent’s illustration of this time depicts the little white mission houses nestled against a palette of reds, browns and grey of dramatic rolling hills. Vincent’s story tells how
artist Rex Battarbee taught him to paint in watercolours, while Albert shared his knowledge of country.
Albert’s success as a watercolour artist of radiant desert landscapes brought him instant fame and fortune. Albert received a Coronation Medal from the Queen and was the first Aboriginal person to be made an Australian citizen. However, his citizenship rights compromised his relationship with his family and friends, as he could not share alcohol with them and was imprisoned for illegal alcohol supply. This demoralising experience severely impacted on Albert’s health.
In 1956 William Dargie’s portrait of ‘Albert Namatjira’ won the Archibald Prize. Vincent’s own portrait of Albert captures the bewilderment and sadness of a man caught between two worlds.
Vincent’s illustrations of his great-grandfather’s story offer a witty commentary on the impact of colonialism on Aboriginal people generally. His naïve caricatures of the Queen and the Governor General depict them as quite ordinary, whilst they seem uncomfortable in Albert’s presence.
Vincent Namatjira is the first Indigenous winner of the Archibald Prize in 2020 for his portrait of Adam Goodes, ‘Stand Strong for Who You Are’, inspired by Goodes’ personal experience of relentless racism. His own life reflects the impact of the assimilation policy under which Alfred lived. After 10 years in a foster home, when aged 18 Vincent reconnected with his extended family, culture and country and realised that he had a famous great-grandfather.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
