BIOGRAPHY
Vincent Namatjira was born in Alice Springs, Australia in 1983. His work has been exhibited at the British Museum, London; TarraWarra Museum of Art, Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Hazelhurst Gallery, Gymea; THIS IS NO FANTASY, Melbourne; and the Warrnambool Art Gallery, Victoria. The artist has received awards and honors including the Archibald Prize and the Ramsey Art Prize. His work is held in several public collections including the British Museum, London; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Going Out Bush by Vincent Namatjira, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Vincent Namatjira, Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne, Australia.
2020
The Royal Tour, THIS IS NO FANTASY, Melbourne, Australia.
2019
Coming To America, THIS IS NO FANTASY, Melbourne, Australia.
2018
Positions, Art Basel Miami Beach 2018, Miami, Florida.
Legends, THIS IS NO FANTASY, Melbourne, Australia.
2017
Sydney Contemporary, THIS IS NO FANTASY, Sydney, Australia.
2016
THIS IS NO FANTASY, Melbourne, Australia.
2013
Vincent Namatjira, Marshall Arts, Adelaide, South Australia.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
The Cost of Living, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Just not Australian, Walkway Gallery, Bordertown, Australia.
Sydney Contemporary Carriageworks, Darlinghurst, Australia.
Iwantja Rock n Roll, Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY.
Sir John Sulman Prize 2022, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
2021-22
Archibald Prize 2020, Penrith Regional Gallery, New South Wales, Australia.
2021
Spirits, Popstars, and Royals (online exhibition), Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY.
Just Not Australian, Artspace, Sydney and Museums & Galleries of New South Wales (12 venue touring regional exhibition).
Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
2020
Just Not Australian, Artspace, Sydney and Museums & Galleries of New South Wales (12 venue touring regional exhibition).
Eight Days in Kamay, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
2019
Ramsay Art Prize Finalist Exhibition (Winner), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia,
Archibald Prize Finalist Exhibition, Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Just Not Australian, Artspace, Sydney, Australia.
THIS IS NO FANTASY, Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Celebrating Culture: Contemporary Indigenous Art, Glen Eira Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.
2018
The 9th Australia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland, Australia.
Weapons for the Soldier, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea, Australia.
Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Campbell, Australia.
A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia.
Archibald Prize Finalist Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
2017
Archibald Prize Finalist Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
The Ramsay Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory, Australia.
NAIDOC Week, Adelaide Town Hall, South Australia, Australia.
UQ Museum National Self Portrait Prize, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
2016
Art16 Art Fair, London, United Kingdom.
TarraWarra Biennial 2016: Endless Circulation, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, Australia.
Nganampa Kililpil: Our Stars, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, New South Wales, Australia.
2015
Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation, British Museum, London, United Kingdom.
Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
10th Mildura Palimpsest Biennale, Mildura, Victoria, Australia.
THIS IS NO FANTASY, Sydney Contemporary, Sydney, Australia.
Rising Stars, Outstation, Darwin, Australia.
Desert Mob, Alice Springs, Australia.
2014
Alberts Story, Marshall Arts, Adelaide, Australia.
Desert Mob, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
On Behalf of Marshall Arts, Adelaide Airport, Adelaide, Australia.
Aboriginal Art from the Eastern APY Lands, Kelch Gallery, Freiburg, Germany.
2013
Desert Mob, Alice Springs, Australia.
Outstation Gallery, Darwin, Australia.
Iwantja Paintings, Japingka Gallery, Perth, Australia.
APY Lands Survey Exhibition, Outstation, Darwin, Australia.
Our Mob, Anita Chan Lai Ling Gallery, Hong Kong.
Art Mob, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Vincent Namatjira, Marshall Arts, Adelaide, Australia
Salon des Refuse, Outstation Gallery, Darwin, Australia.
Mossenson Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.
2012
Iwantja Arts, Mossenson Gallery, Perth, Australia.
2011
Raft Artspace, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
RESIDENCIES, AWARDS, & GRANTS
2022
Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships, Melbourne, Australia.
Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Sydney, Australia.
Finalist, Sir John Sulman Prize, Sydney, Australia.
2021
Recipient, Circular Quay Foyer Wall Commission, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, Australia.
2020
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Winner, The Archibald Prize, Sydney, Australia.
2019
Winner, The Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of Sydney, Australia.
2018
Highly Commended, The Archibald Prize, Sydney, Australia.
Finalist, The Alice Art Prize, Alice Springs, Australia.
2017
Finalist, The Archibald Prize, Sydney, Australia.
Finalist, Ramsay Art Prize, Adelaide, Australia.
Finalist, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, Northern Territory Australia.
Invited entrant, Q Museum National Self Portrait Prize, Australia.
2016
Finalist, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, Northern Territory, Australia.
2015
Finalist, John Fries Memorial Prize – shortlisted, Sydney, Australia.
Finalist, Western Australian Indigenous Art Award, Perth, Australia.
2014
Finalist, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, Northern Territory, Australia.
Finalist, Alice Art Prize, Alice Springs, Australia.
2013
Finalist, Outback Art Award, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Broken Hill Australia.
Finalist, John Fries Memorial Prize, Australia.
Finalist, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, Northern Territory, Australia.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Artbank, Sydney, Australia
Berndt Museum, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
British Museum, London, England
Flinders University Art Museum, Bedford Park, Australia
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2022
Blair, Sonia. “6 contemporary Australian artists you need to know in 2023”, RUSSH, December 30.
Gaskin, Sam. “Queen Elizabeth II ‘Became a Marina Abramovic for the Ages’ ”, Ocula, September 9.
Sargeat, Thomas and Amelia Koen. “Sydney Contemporary takes over Carriageworks”, Honi Soit, September 8.
Taylor, Bea. “Iwantia Arts Take To New York City, With A ‘Rock N Roll’ Exhibition”, The Design Files, August 25.
Dexter, Henry. “At Fort Gansevoort, ‘Iwantja Rock n Roll’ Eschews the Modernist Myths of Aboriginal Art”, Cultured, August 11.
Anania, Billy. “Your Concise New York Art Guide for August 2022”, Hyperallergic, August 1.
Mezzolani, Ario. “Iwantja Rock n Roll: The work of three artists from Aboriginal Australian communities”, Lampoon, July 29.
D’Souza, Aruna. “What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries Right Now”, The New York Times, July 28.
Speck, Cathrine. "In a cold July, Adelaide comes to life with art of light, sound and movement", The Conversation, July 22.
Yerebakan, Osman Can. "South Australia’s Aboriginal arts community makes New York debut", The Art Newspaper, July 15.
Gilstrap, Nyla. “Iwantja Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Air Mail, July 8.
“We Hear”, New York Post, July 7.
Clark, Maddee. “Artist Vincent Namatjira”, The Saturday Paper, July 2-8.
Foster, Farrin. “ Vincent Namatjira brings the bush to the big smoke“, In Daily, July 1.
“AMPLIFY brings large-scale art to Carriageworks“, The South Sydney Herald, June 30.
“Iwantja Rock n Roll! Fort Gansevoort”, Martin Cid Magazine, June 20.
Ward, Sarah. “2022's Archibald Prize Finalists Are Here — and a Taika Waititi Portrait Won the Packing Room Prize”, Concrete Playground, May 5.
Morris, Linda. “‘A kick in the barramundies’: Taika Waititi portrait wins Archibald Packing Room Prize”, Brisbane Times, May 5.
“'Fake 3D' portrait of Maori filmmaker Taika Waititi wins Archibald's Packing Room Prize”, SBS News, May 5.
“Archibald Prize 2022” The Sydney Morning Herald, May 5.
Jefferson, Dee. “Archibald Packing Room Prize goes to portrait of Taika Waititi by emerging artist Claus Stangl”, ABC Arts, May 4.
Williamson, Cordelia. “The Super-Popular Archibald Prize Has Announced Its 2022 Finalists”, Urban List, May 4.
“Archibald prize 2022 finalists: Benjamin Law, Helen Garner, Taika Waititi and more – in pictures”, The Guardian, May 4.
O’Brien, Kerrie. “From Nick Cave to Ellyse Perry: stars align in unique portrait show”, The Age, March 23.
O’Brien, Kerrie. “‘People Gravitate Towards the Soulful’: Melbourne Art Fair Returns”, The Sydney Morning Herald, February 19.
Amore, Melissa Bianca. “Un/learning Australia”, February 5.
"The Artsy Collector Spotlight: Abigail Crompton", Artsy, January 28.
2021
Albert, Tony. Vincent Namatjira: The Royal Tour, Melbourne, Australia: Perimeter Editions.
Namatjira, Albert. Albert Namatjira, Broome, Australia: Magabala Books.
2020
Linz, Talia. Just not Australian, Woolloomooloo, NSW: Artspace and Museums & Galleries of NSW.
2018
“APY Artist’s take on power hits a nerve”, Australian Financial Review, Dec.
Galvin, Nick. “Indigenous soldiers out of the shadows”, Sydney Morning Herald, November.
Hill, Wes. “The wry humour of Vincent Namatjira’s portraits”, Frieze Magazine, December 19.
King, Natalie. “Vincent Namatjira in conversation with Natalie King”, Ocula, November 26.
McDonald, John. “The Archibald Prize 2018: A tough one to pick”, May 10.
Todd, Stephen. “Vincent Namatjira unveils 10 new works at Art Basel Miami Beach”, Australian Financial Review, December 6.
2017
Purvis, Andrew. “Vincent Namatjira’s portraits of the rich and powerful”, Fine Print Magazine, March 30.
2016
Finnane, Kiran. “From Ceremony to Selfies”, Art Monthly, March 15.
Knezic, Sophie. “5th TarraWarra Biennial”, Frieze, September 10.
Richie, Emily. “Vincent Namatjira: past and future in one frame”, The Australian, August 19.
“TarraWarra Biennial: Endless Circulation”, Arts Review, August 25.
2015
Marks, Kathy. “Aboriginal art festival, Australia: New generation of Central Desert artists captivating the art world”, Traveller, September 11.
Sculthorpe, Gaye. “Bringing Great Australian Indigenous works...”, Australian Financial Review, April 2.
“Tarnanthi fair gives indigenous creativity a $100,00 showcase”, The Australian, October 14.
2014
Cones-Browne, Emily. “British Museum Acquires Vincent Namatjira Work”, Art Collector magazine.
2013
“Australia’s Best emerging Visual Artists Shine”, Elle Magazine, August 30.
Spain, Katie. “Brush with Greatness in the APY Lands: Vincent Namatjira”, The Advertiser, August 9.