A subversive portraitist, Namatjira uses wit and heart to interrogate the complex colonial narratives implicit in Australia's relationship with the Empire from a contemporary Aboriginal perspective. Born in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, and now based in Indulkana on Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia, Namatjira is an acute observer of national and international politics.
"I started painting portraits because I'm interested in people and power, wealth and politics. For me, portraiture is a way of putting myself in someone else's shoes as well as to share with the viewer what it might be like to be in my shoes. I use portraiture to look at my identity and my family history," said artist Vincent Namatjira.
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to utilise cheeky humour side-by-side with gut wrenchingly hard stories. Desert Songs is inspired by these stories." said Vincent Namatjira.
"I don't want to dismiss this element of what I refer to as 'Guerrilla' humour, which is a tactic used in Blackfella art to make Whitefella's laugh at themselves. Let's be honest, as Aboriginal men we have much more luck in interrogating White nuances through a joke than by pointing the finger. This is one of Vincent's greatest attributes." (p.171, Tony Albert on Vincent, from Vincent Namatjira by Vincent Namatjira, published by Thames & Hudson Australia)
Press release courtesy Ames Yavuz.
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