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“Portraiture is for me a way of putting myself in someone else’s shoes, as well as asking viewers to put themselves in my shoes,” says First Nations artist, Vincent Namatjira.
If you happen to visit his exhibition, Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour – and we heartily recommend you do – you’ll be doing a lot of thinking and reflecting. For among the bold, colourful artworks, there’s much to ponder in this exhibition that has opened at the National Gallery of Australia.
The 2020 Archibald prize winning artist has been painting portraits for a little over a decade, and in that time has established himself as a subversive and witty artist. Painting portraits of important figures, both personally familiar and famously political, has gained him significant recognition in Australia and abroad.
“I started doing portraiture because I’m interested in people, and power, and wealth, and politics,” he said at the opening of the exhibition in Canberra.
Not surprisingly, there are a lot of paintings of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal family, in part because the Queen met Vincent’s great-grandfather Albert Namatjira in 1954 and awarded him the Queen’s Coronation Medal the previous year.
Vincent is still waiting for his invitation to visit Buckingham Palace but in his paintings he is on equal footing with the royals, appearing in their balcony photo shoots, sharing a cuppa in the palace and returning the favour by offering the Queen some bush tucker.
Vincent chose every piece for Australia in Colour, the first survey exhibition of his work. To celebrate its launch, the Gallery commissioned a new projection and sound-based work to illuminate the building during Enlighten 2024.
Titled Indigenous All Stars, the design is being projected onto the façade of the National Gallery every night from 8pm to 11pm until March 11.
The design highlights Vincent Namatjira’s Indigenous heroes, including historical and political leaders Eddie Koiki Mabo, Vincent Lingiari and Albert Namatjira, sporting stars Adam Goodes, Cathy Freeman and Nicky Winmar, and the Tjilpi (senior men/elders) from Namatjira’s home on the APY Lands of South Australia. The projection is accompanied by an original score created by Namatjira in collaboration with Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara guitarist-composer Jeremy Whiskey, also from Indulkana.
The National Gallery has extended its opening hours during Enlighten, remaining open until 9pm each day until March 11. During this time, it has a special offer of two for one tickets to the Namatjira exhibition and the Emily Kam Kngwarray retrospective which opened late last year.
Every Friday and Saturday night during Enlighten, the Gallery is offering live music, family activities and food options. The live music line-up includes performances by Thelma Plum, Jem Cassar-Daley, Dan Sultan and Briggs.
Among the activities for kids are an Art Together activity with Anangu artist Elizabeth Close at the Emily Kam Kngwarray Art Cart, and in the Vincent Namatjira All Stars Studio, where visitors can create a trading card of their own hero.
Namatjira, who was present for the preview of his Enlighten illumination, is thrilled to see the project come to life. “This work is meant to bring us all together,” he said.
“It’s a tribute to some of my heroes and a celebration of Aboriginal excellence past and present. Part of making things equal in this country is a greater acknowledgement and recognition of Aboriginal excellence – our heroes, leaders, visionaries, and trailblazers.”
Carparking at the National Gallery is free from 5pm. The P1 carpark (Parkes Place East) and P2 carpark (off Bowen Place) are open during Enlighten.
Book your late night Gallery entry here.
For the full story on Enlighten 2024, check out this separate post.
