Albert Namatjira. Using just water, pigment and paper Albert Namatjira captured the light and life of his Country. His art stops me in my tracks and grabs me by the heart.
He made his mark on the world through his art, and was one of the first Aboriginal people to really be noticed and acknowledged by non-Indigenous Australians –
this led to success, wealth, fame and even Australian citizenship
With wealth and success came more hard times, persecution, imprisonment, and an early death.
Like Albert, I use art to lift myself out of hard times, to provide a better future for me and my family.
Albert’s story is an important reminder of the pressures and pitfalls of being a successful Aboriginal person in this country.
Albert Namatjira’s legacy lives on, in the power of his art and in the work of his descendants.
The old man was a teacher, passing on his talents and ideas to his family – when I research Albert Namatjira’s life, when I look at his work, and when I paint our Country myself I can feel him teaching me too, and I feel at peace.
He found his own path with watercolour landscapes, and that’s what made me determined to find my own way too.
