South Australia’s Vincent Namatjira OAM has become the first Indigenous artist to win the Archibald Prize.
The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s most prestigious art awards, awarded annually to the best portrait painting in the esteemed exhibition.
Namatjira’s winning painting, Stand strong for who you are, depicts himself alongside football great, Adam Goodes.
He speaks of Goodes as an inspiration for standing strong against racism, particularly with the airing of The Final Quarter, an examination of the racism Goodes experienced on and off the field during his AFL career.
Namatjira is the great-grandson of acclaimed watercolour artist Albert Namatjira, and hails from the the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in northern South Australia.
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall congratulated Mr Namatjira on his history-making win.
“I send my sincere congratulations to Mr Namatjira; he is an absolute inspiration for young South Australian artists,” said Premier Marshall.
“His big achievement today is in addition to winning the significant Ramsay Art Prize last year for his work, Close Contact.”
2020 marks Namatjira’s fourth time in the Archibald Prize. His work is both nationally and internationally renowned, and displayed in destinations around the world, including the British Museum in London.
Find out more about the Archibald Prize here.
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