Shades of Country

Vincent Namatjira’s art provides a unique look at Australia, juxtaposing wit alongside history and identity in a way that elicits consideration of past, present, and future.

WORDS Sarah Vercoe

PHOTOGRAPHY Max Mackinnon

Vincent Namatjira in Indulkana, APY Lands, South Australia.

The Indulkana Tigers, 2014, Indulkana, APY Lands, South Australia; Private Collection, © Vincent Namatjira; Vincent Namatjira, Western Aranda people.

Art is about more than aesthetics. It’s also about eliciting conversations and changing perspectives, which in turn becomes a transformative experience. For Arrernte artist Vincent Namatjira, things began to shift the moment he picked up a paintbrush.

Art runs in his veins, being the great-grandson of famed Indigenous artist Albert Namatjira, who is known for his striking watercolour landscapes. But as an artist, Vincent transcends his name. Taught dot painting from a young age, like his great-grandfather, Vincent found his paintbrush was naturally drawn to a particular style. His way is inimitable; he has a distinctive flair that’s often described as a satirical and wry look at Australian history and identity.

Acrylic is Vincent’s medium of choice, using bold colours and dramatic brush strokes to depict prominent figures in caricature form, often inserting himself into the scene for a hint of tongue-in-cheek humour. “That’s my way of choosing my path, like the old man chose his own path. I’m just broadening the Namatjira family name,” Vincent says.

For Vincent, his work is an extension of his voice, carving a unique narrative that’s often laced with humour, parody, and connotations that spark discussion about important topics. It’s an approach that’s seen him acquire a number of acclaimed awards. In 2019, Vincent won the Art Gallery of South Australia’s Ramsay Art Prize. In 2020, he was awarded the Archibald Prize for his piece Stand Strong For Who You Are, the first Indigenous artist to take the title in the prestigious award’s 102-year history. Later that year, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia in honour of his significant contribution to Indigenous art in Australia.

While Vincent is clearly proud of his achievements, it’s apparent his work delves deeper than this surface of success.

Vincent Namatjira, Western Aranda people, The Queen Elizabeth & Vincent (On Country), 2018, Indulkana, APY Lands, South Australia; Private Collection, © Vincent Namatjira,

"I see people looking at my paintings on the wall and they grin, so the painting has a funny side to it, but there’s also the serious, gut-wrenching side, too.”

“My work has the fun side and the serious side,” he says. “I see people looking at my paintings on the wall and they grin, so the painting has a funny side to it, but there’s also the serious, gut-wrenching side, too.”

“All of this is who I am,” he says, explaining how his self-perception has shifted over time. “The paintbrush changed who I am today. It’s made me a better person, a role model.”

Creating is an intricate and symbiotic relationship Vincent describes as a ‘battleground’. Good days, where art flows out of him, are interspersed with days where he must persuade it to emerge, refine it with touches here and there, then step back to see what the art needs from him. “It’s like a battle between my paintbrush and the canvas,” he says of creating new works. A survey of this lifework entitled Australia in Colour will feature at this year’s Tarnanthi exhibition, a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to highlight significant stories through contemporary art. “When people see Australia in Colour, I want them to see that this is a colourful, wonderful place. The people, the atmosphere, the environment; we are all one in this beautiful country,” he explains.

The release of Vincent’s monograph, Vincent Namatjira published by Thames & Hudson Australia, will coincide with the exhibition. The book explores how his art is reframing Australian history, including essays by prominent voices in Australian art.

Cover to cover Vincent’s monograph is an amble through his progression as an artist and the inspirations that have contributed to his continuing success. His perceptive approach emanates from the pages, revealing how the humble paintbrush transformed him through his wily art. And how he hopes art can transform the world.

See Vincent Namatjira’s art in person at the Art Gallery of South Australia, on display as part of Tarnanthi until January 2024.

Vincent Namatjira, with his work Self-portrait in Indulkana, APY Lands, South Australia; Vincent Namatjira, Western Aranda people.